Lali Dekanoidze sets program record

The look of poise, passion, and accomplishment. This is not a look of surprise.

After a pretty traumatic knee injury last February on a beam dismount, so much so that you would maybe need to be sitting down to hear the details, Lali quickly affirmed that she was going to give her all to make a full comeback before the start of this college season. Which really meant she needed to be back by at least middle of the Fall to determine if any changes in her skills and routines were needed. 

Insert this moment from the picture above. In her first home meet of the 2023 season, and after a big meet out west in Vegas just three days prior, Lali did an impeccable vault to the tune of a 9.900 which, believe it or not, is standard practice for her. Next comes her bar routine. She had a great warmup and was slated for the 4th spot in the lineup. Then Lali delivered an unforgettable competition routine that left her teammates, coaches, and fans chanting, "10, 10, 10!" After a few moments the crowd erupted after one judge delivered a 10 and just seconds later the second judge issued a 9.95, for an official score, personal best, and UNC program best of 9.975. Gymnastics in and of itself is a sport of perfection. We can't help but to think that one judge maybe expected a little too much, but if you know the competitor Lali is, she is more than likely not going to leave anything to chance next time out. And one thing we know, this outcome was not a surprise!