{{short description|American artistic gymnast (born 2002)}} {{Infobox gymnast | name = Sloane Blakely | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | fullname = Sloane Blakely | altname = | nickname = | country = {{GYM National Team|USA|WAG}} | formercountry = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|12|23}} | birth_place = Dallas, Texas, USA | training = | height = 5ft 1in | discipline = WAG | natlteam = 2019 | club = World Olympic Gymnastics Academy | gym = | collegeteam = Florida Gators (2022–25) | headcoach = Tatyana Shadenko | assistcoach = | formercoach = | choreographer = | music = | eponymousskills = | retired = | worldranking = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|Florida Gators}} center|80px {{MedalCompetition|NCAA Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2022 Fort Worth|Team}} {{MedalSilver|2023 Fort Worth|Team}} }}
'''Sloane Blakely''' (born December 23, 2002) is an American collegiate artistic gymnast and was a member of the United States women's national gymnastics team. She is currently competing for the Florida Gators in NCAA gymnastics. She is the older sister of gymnast Skye Blakely.
== Early life == Blakely was born to Steven and Stephanie Blakely in 2002 in Dallas, Texas, and has one sibling, Skye. She originally did ballet and tap dancing prior to starting gymnastics training.<ref name=usag-profile>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetail.html?id=455874|title=Sloane Blakely|work=USA Gymnastics}}</ref>
== Gymnastics career == ===2016=== Blakely qualified as a junior elite gymnast in 2016. She made her elite debut at the 2016 U.S. Classic where she placed 21st in the all-around.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=18675|title=Alexeeva wins junior title at Secret Classic|date=June 4, 2016|work=USA Gymnastics}}</ref> She next competed at the U.S. National Championships where she finished 18th.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=18862|title=O'Keefe wins first junior U.S. title|date=June 26, 2016|work=USA Gymnastics}}</ref>
=== 2018 === Blakely became age-eligible for senior level competition in 2018. She made her senior debut at the American Classic where she placed sixth in the all-around.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=22226|title=Jones, DiCello win all-around titles at 2018 American Classic today|work=USA Gymnastics|date=July 7, 2018}}</ref> Later that month she competed at the 2018 U.S. Classic where she placed seventh in the all-around and fourth on balance beam.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=22335|title=Biles, Wong win all-around titles at 2018 GK U.S. Classic|work=USA Gymnastics|date=July 28, 2018}}</ref> In August Blakely competed at the 2018 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships. She finished 16th in the all-around.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=22427|title=Biles shines on all four events on way to record fifth U.S. senior all-around title|date=August 19, 2018|work=USA Gymnastics}}</ref>
=== 2019 === In February Blakely was named to the team to compete at 2019 L'International Gymnix in Montreal, alongside Kara Eaker, Aleah Finnegan, and Alyona Shchennikova. As a result, she was named to the national team for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=23339|title=USA Gymnastics announces women's spring international team assignments|work=USA Gymnastics|date=February 24, 2019}}</ref> While there she helped the USA win team gold and individually she won silver on balance beam behind Eaker and finished fourth on floor exercise.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=23440|title=USA wins four junior, senior event titles at 2019 Gymnix International|work=USA Gymnastics|date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>
In June Blakely competed at the American Classic where she placed first on balance beam, second on vault behind Faith Torrez, and fifth on floor exercise. After the conclusion of the American Classic, Blakely was named as one of the eight athletes being considered for the team that would compete at the 2019 Pan American Games, along with Kara Eaker, Aleah Finnegan, Morgan Hurd, Shilese Jones, Sunisa Lee, Riley McCusker and Leanne Wong.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=24027|title=USA Gymnastics names eight women eligible for 2019 U.S. Women's Pan American Games Team|work=USA Gymnastics|date=June 23, 2019}}</ref> The following month Blakely competed at the U.S. Classic where she only competed on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise. She was not selected to compete at the Pan American Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=24214|title=Biles, McClain win all-around titles at 2019 GK U.S. Classic|work=USA Gymnastics|date=July 20, 2019}}</ref>
In August Blakely competed at the U.S. National Championships where she once again only competed on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise. She finished ninth and sixteenth on the latter two events.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=24375|title=Biles soars to sixth U.S. women's all-around title at 2019 U.S. Championships|work=USA Gymnastics|date=August 11, 2019}}</ref>
=== 2020 === Blakely competed at the 2020 L'International Gymnix as a Challenger and not part of national team. She finished first in the all-around and on balance beam.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thegymter.net/2020/03/09/2020-international-gymnix-results/|title=2020 International Gymnix Results|work=The Gymternet|date=March 9, 2020}}</ref> In November Blakely signed her National Letter of Intent with the Florida Gators.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/news/2020/11/11/sloane-blakely-signs-with-gator-gymnastics-team.aspx|title=Sloane Blakely Signs with Gator Gymnastics Team|work=Florida Gators|date=November 11, 2020}}</ref>
=== 2021 === Blakely dropped down to level 10 in 2021. She qualified to<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=25890|title=An additional 16 gymnasts qualify for the 2021 Nastia Liukin Cup|date=February 17, 2021|work=USA Gymnastics}}</ref> and competed at the Nastia Liukin Cup where she finished 13th.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=25915|title=Smith, Zhou take 2021 Nastia Liukin Cup senior and junior titles|date=February 26, 2021|work=USA Gymnastics}}</ref> In May Blakely competed at the Developmental National Championships where she placed first in the senior-F division and swept titles on all apparatuses. In doing so Blakely became the first level 10 gymnast to sweep all of the titles at a National Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=26191|title=Region 8 claims Super Team title as 2021 USA Gymnastics Women's Development Program National Championships wrap in Daytona Beach|work=USA Gymnastics|date=May 17, 2021}}</ref>
== Collegiate gymnastics career == === 2021–2022 season === Blakely made her NCAA debut on January 7 in a quad meet against Rutgers, Northern Illinois, and Texas Women's. She competed on all four apparatuses and had the highest all-around and balance beam scores of the meet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/news/2022/1/7/preseason-no-2-florida-gymnastics-opens-with-quad-meet-win|title=Preseason No. 2 Florida Gymnastics Opens with Quad Meet Win|work=Florida Gators|date=January 7, 2022}}</ref> Blakely became the first Florida Gator gymnast since Kytra Hunter in 2012 to win the all-around in a debut collegiate meet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/news/2022/1/8/gymnastics-freshman-blakely-delivers-in-big-way-for-gators|title=Freshman Blakely Delivers Big In Gators Debut|work=Florida Gators|date=January 8, 2022}}</ref> As a result, Blakely was named SEC Gymnast of the Week. In doing so she became the first freshman to earn the opening SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of a season since the honor began in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/news/2022/1/11/gymnastics-baumann-and-blakely-claim-week-1-sec-weekly-honors.aspx|title=Baumann and Blakely Claim Week 1 SEC Weekly Honors|work=Florida Gators|date=January 11, 2022}}</ref>
=== Career perfect 10.0 === {| class="wikitable" |- !Season!!Date!!Event!!Meet |- | rowspan="1" | 2022 || March 4, 2022 || rowspan="2" | Floor exercise || Florida @ Auburn |- | rowspan="1" | 2025 || February 14, 2025 || Florida vs Auburn |}
=== Regular season rankings === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Season !! All-Around !! Vault !! Uneven Bars !! Balance Beam !! Floor Exercise |- | 2022 || 57th || 91st || 112th || 20th || 165th |- | 2023 || N/A || 68th || 54th || 62nd || N/A |- | 2024 || 32nd || 77th || 145th || 36th || 59th |}
==Competitive history== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%;" |- ! align=center | Year ! align=center | Event ! style="width:30px;" | Team ! style="width:30px;" | AA ! style="width:30px;" | VT ! style="width:30px;" | UB ! style="width:30px;" | BB ! style="width:30px;" | FX |- ! colspan="8" | '''Junior''' |- | rowspan="2" | '''2016''' || align=left | U.S. Classic || || 21 || 15 || 33 || 15 || 11 |- | align=left | U.S. National Championships || || 18 || 15 || 25 || 11 || 17 |- ! colspan="8" | '''Senior''' |- | rowspan="3" | '''2018''' || align=left | American Classic || || 6 || 11 || 13 || 6 || 9 |- | align=left | U.S. Classic || || 7 || || 16 || 4 || 11 |- | align=left | U.S. National Championships || || 16 || || 18 || 11 || 15 |- | rowspan="4" |'''2019'''|| align=left | International Gymnix || {{gold1}} || || || || {{silver2}} || 4 |- | align=left | American Classic || || || {{silver2}} || || {{gold1}} || 5 |- | align=left | U.S. Classic || || || || || 14 || 16 |- | align=left | U.S. National Championships || || || || || 9 || 16 |- | rowspan="1" | '''2020''' || align=left | International Gymnix || || {{gold1}} || || || {{gold1}} || |- ! colspan="8" | '''Level 10''' |- | rowspan="2" | '''2021''' || align=left | Nastia Liukin Cup || || 13 || || || || |- | align=left | L10 National Championships || || {{gold1}}|| {{gold1}}|| {{gold1}}|| {{gold1}}|| {{gold1}} |- ! colspan ="8" | '''NCAA''' |- | rowspan="2" | '''2022''' || align=left | SEC Championships || {{gold1}} || 11 || || || || |- | align=left | NCAA Championships || {{silver2}} || || || || || |- | rowspan="2" | '''2023''' || align=left | SEC Championships || {{gold1}} || || || || || |- | align=left | NCAA Championships || {{silver2}} || 21 || || || || |- |'''2024''' | align=left | NCAA Championships |4 | | |39 |12 |28 |}
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{FIG|bio=75271|name=Sloane Blakely}} * {{USA Gymnastics|455874}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blakely, Sloane}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:African-American gymnasts Category:American female artistic gymnasts Category:U.S. women's national team gymnasts Category:Sportspeople from Dallas Category:Gymnasts from Texas Category:Sportspeople from Frisco, Texas Category:21st-century African-American sportswomen Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:Florida Gators women's gymnasts