Congratulations are in order for 25-year-old gymnast Lynnzee Brown, who is set to make history as the first Haitian female gymnast to compete in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to Penn State Athletics , Brown will compete in the women’s qualification round on July 28, aiming for a spot in the all-around final. She’ll be representing team Haiti, a country to which she has strong familial ties through her father, a native of Haiti.
Originally from Raytown, Missouri, Brown secured her Olympic milestone through a university place qualification granted by the Olympic Games Tripartite Commission. This opportunity is reserved for athletes in select sports, including gymnastics, from countries that have averaged eight or fewer athletes at the last two Olympic Games, promoting diversity in Olympic representation.
“I’m trying to think of what to say, but I honestly have nothing that feels good enough,” Brown shared her historic accomplishment in an interview with Penn State Athletics . “I’m grateful for this journey and those who have supported me through it. I am honored that the Haitian federation is supporting me through this process, and I look forward to seeing what the next generation of athletes will do.”
Brown’s journey to the Olympics was fueled by standout performances, including the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp and multiple Pan-American competitions. At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, she achieved a personal-best score of 48.133, finishing 14 overall, the University of Denver noted.
Continuing to showcase her talent, Brown recently competed at the 2024 Pan American Championships in Santa Marta, Colombia, in May, solidifying her position as a top contender in gymnastics. She made it to the all-around final, placing No. 18 with a score of 45.601 while achieving 46.633 in qualifications. Her Instagram page noted that the star gymnast accomplished this despite two Achilles injuries last year.
She started her career at the University of Denver.
During her six-year tenure at the University of Denver, Brown made history with a program-record fourth-place finish in the all-around at the 2023 NCAA National Championships. She departed DU as one of the most decorated gymnasts in program history, securing an NCAA national title on the floor in 2019 and clinching four Big 12 Conference championships, including the all-around title in 2021.
Throughout her collegiate journey, she earned a remarkable 20 WCGA All-American honors and set Denver records for the highest all-around score (39.825) and the most career-perfect 10.0s (five).
Following her successful stint at Denver, Brown transitioned to an assistant coaching role at Penn State in the summer of 2023. Along with her fellow assistant coaches, she was recognized as the WCGA North East Region Assistant Coaches of the Year following Penn State’s outstanding 2024 season.
Brown’s achievement is historically significant, paralleling the Haitian Revolution, which lasted from 1791 to 1804. This era marked a pivotal anti-slavery and anti-colonial uprising led by self-liberated slaves against French rule in Saint-Domingue, on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The revolution culminated in Haiti’s establishment as an independent nation in 1804, making it the first independent Black nation in Latin America and the Caribbean and the second independent state in the Americas, Cambridge noted.
Congratulations to Lynnzee Brown! We can’t wait to see you shine with Team Haiti at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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