We’re in an Olympic year, which means that over the next few months you’ll likely begin hearing about gymnastics for the first time in four years. That’s because, like for many Olympic sports, gymnastics can’t hold the attention of the general populace for more than a few weeks per decade, or without the added stakes of national pride. You can debate about why that is, but if more of gymnastics was like Sophina DeJesus’ floor routine, it would probably make more of an impression.
Competing for UCLA in a Pac-12 meet against Utah on Saturday, DeJesus didn’t just flip and tumble damn-near perfectly — she also peppered her routine with some damn fine hip hop dance moves, most notably the Whip, the Nae Nae, and the Dab. She did them with flair, too.
Honestly though, her best move might have been a play on the classic Harlem Shake (not that one, the real one), which she threw into this amazing little sequence:
DeJesus’ routine garnered a fantastic 9.925 from the judges despite the crowd’s pleas for a perfect 10. But she still helped UCLA beat Utah, and judging by the reactions of her supporters and teammates, she’ll be an instant legend on campus. Crushingly however, the camera seems to cut away to a teammate just as she hits the celebratory Dab to cap the routine off. Bad show, camera guy.
(H/t Jezebel)
