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Lais Najjar

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Lais Najjar
Najjar at the 2019 Junior World Championships
Personal information
Full nameLais Najjar
Country represented Syria
Born (2002-10-08) 8 October 2002 (age 22)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
ResidenceAnn Arbor, Michigan
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2016–present (SYR)[1]
College teamMichigan Wolverines (2022–25)
Head coach(es)Yuan Xiao
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  Syria
Arab Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Oran All-around
Gold medal – first place 2023 Oran Floor exercise
Silver medal – second place 2023 Oran Horizontal bar
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Oran Team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Oran Vault
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Oran Parallel bars
FIG World Cup
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Challenge Cup 0 1 0
Representing the Michigan Wolverines
NCAA Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 State College Team
Silver medal – second place 2024 Columbus Team
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Norman Team

Lais Najjar (born October 8, 2002) is an American-born Syrian artistic gymnast. He represented Syria at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Personal life

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Najjar was born in Chicago, Illinois in 2002 to Chirin Chahkhachiro and Maher Najjar.[2][3] He spent much of his childhood living in Syria while his father, a pulmonologist, traveled back and forth between the two locations. Prior to the start of the Syrian civil war, Najjar and his family moved back to the United States, where they would have better access to educational opportunities for himself and his two sisters. Najjar attended Hinsdale Central High School and currently competes for the University of Michigan Men’s Gymnastics Team.[1]

Gymnastics career

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Najjar competed at the inaugural Junior World Championships in floor exercise and vault. He did not qualify for any individual event finals.[4]

Najjar made his senior-level debut at the Cairo World Challenge Cup, where he won silver on vault, behind Nazar Chepurnyi.[5] In 2022 Najjar began competing in NCAA gymnastics for the Michigan Wolverines.[6] Later that year he competed at the Asian Championships, Mediterranean Games and World Championships.

Najjar competed at the 2024 Asian Championships, where he placed 17th in the all-around.[7] In late May, Najjar was awarded the Tripartite invitation to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.[8]

Competitive history

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Year Event Team AA FX PH SR VT PB HB
2017
Junior Asian Championships 17
2019
Junior World Championships 42
2021 Elite Team Cup 4
Cairo World Challenge Cup 7 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2022 NCAA Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Asian Championships 13 17
Mediterranean Games 19 5
World Championships 49
2023 NCAA Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Asian Championships 21
Arab Games 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2024 NCAA Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Asian Championships 17
Olympic Games 51 47 54

References

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  1. ^ a b "'You raised our heads': Lais Najjar's journey to the Olympics". The Michigan Daily. June 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "Michigan Wolverines Profile: Lais Najjar". Michigan Wolverines.
  3. ^ "FIG Profile: Lais Najjar". International Gymnastics Federation.
  4. ^ "2019 Junior World Championships Men's Results". The Gymternet. July 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "Hosts Egypt claim two golds, Kovtun thrice golden in Cairo". International Gymnastics Federation. June 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "Michigan Wolverines Men's Gymnastics 2022 Roster". Michigan Wolverines.
  7. ^ "2024 Asian Championships Men's Results". The Gymternet. May 21, 2024.
  8. ^ @UMichGym (May 30, 2024). "Paris Bound" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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