Summer of 2024, when the ultimate competition of sports met the city of love. Paris Olympics 2024. As the medal slid down the neck of Simone Biles, as the blue ribbon rested on her shoulders while the gold felt her heartbeat, there was a person who was head over heels. That was Simone Biles’ ex-coach, Cecile Canqueteau-Landi. The two who had been together parted ways after that as Landi joined Georgia Gymnastics. Biles posted a photo with her on her Instagram stories and wrote, “End of an era 🥹🤞🏾🤍. it’s not a goodbye, it’s a see you later.” Now the tables have turned, the coach who once got goodbyes has to give them herself. How does she say it and to whom?
The Georgia Gymnastics head coach wrote, “👵🏿 is officially retiring after an incredible career,” on her Instagram story for Anaya Smith’s retirement. “Gymnastics is such a disciplined sport and I am grateful for that. The sport has given me best friends, family, and sisters for life! Thank you to everyone that has been involved in my journey.” Read a part of the gymnast’s Instagram post as she said goodbye to the sport. She talked about how much gymnastics meant to her and how hard it was to give it up. She said she’s hard to deal with and thanked everyone who did. She ended with one last thank you to her mom and then signed off as “Grandma out❤️.”
Cecile Canqueteau-Landi thanked her, saying, “Thank you for being you & for everything you brought to this team❤️🖤.” She didn’t stop there. The next story was for Kelsey Lee. “I never imagined closing this chapter so soon, but I’m endlessly grateful for every opportunity, every lesson, & every challenge this sport has brought me,” read a part of her retirement post.
The two of them are prominent and promising gymnasts who are retiring. Let’s have a look at their career.
Smith and Lee’s Career
Lee’s career has been cut short due to her injury. It is only the second year of her college career when she is retiring. Before her first year was put to rest due to an arm injury, she had her time in the club. She was a part of Georgia’s recruiting class ranked No. 1 by collegegymnews.com. She trained at Lakewood Ranch Gymnastics and qualified for the Secret Classic in 2016. The woman is the 2017 and 2019 Level 10 Bars State Champion and even qualified for nationals in 2018. She won a Bronze Medal for Vault at Regionals in 2021.
Anaya Smith had quite a career. She started in Oklahoma in 2021, in 2024 she was in Arizona, and then come 2025 she is retiring in Georgia. In her collegiate debut in 2021, she earned a team-high 9.850 on vault at No. 2 Oklahoma. She won six Vault titles that season. She continued her strong performance on the vault, scoring a 9.925 to match her personal best at the Pac-12s. That score was good for second place in the championships. The then debutant even scored a 9.900 at the NCAA Regional Finals. In 2022, she only made one appearance.
In 2023 in her junior year, she notched a 9.9+ six times, including two 9.95s. Once again this season, she hit a 9.950 at the NCAA Regional Finals. In a victory over Arizona, she earned a career-best 9.950 on vault — the highest score by any Gym Devil in any event that season and the top vault score for ASU since Ashley Hinkle’s performance on March 7, 2008. In 2024, the year of the Paris Olympics, she went to Arizona State, where she scored a 9.900 or better at the Vault and won 7 vault titles.
This was the year she was named to the All-Pac-12 Vault First Team and earned her seventh 9.900 or better on vault with a 9.900 to win the regional title on the event and qualify for nationals. She was the National Runner-Up and First Team All-American in the vault.
