Zhou focused on 2025 elite season, ready for collegiate career • USA Gymnastics

Fresh off her win at the American Classic in June and uneven bars bronze at the U.S. Classic Presented by Saatva in July, Alicia Zhou has her sights set on the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Championships August in New Orleans and preparing for the collegiate lifestyle at Stanford University.

By Sarah Firth, USAG Creator Program

Fresh off her win at the American Classic in June and uneven bars bronze at the U.S. Classic Presented by Saatva in July, Alicia Zhou (USAG bio) has her sights set on the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Championships August in New Orleans. But further than that, Zhou is preparing for the collegiate lifestyle at Stanford University, where she will compete under head coach Tabitha Yim come 2026.

“Stanford’s a great school and I’ve always wanted to go there,” said Zhou. “When I visited, it had a beautiful campus, I loved the girls and the coaches were so sweet. I had a great time there, and that helped me make the decision.”

It’s been a while since Zhou has been in a traditional classroom setting. She’s participated in online schooling since sixth grade and is enrolled in Texas Connections Academy, an online public school option offered by the state of Texas.

“I haven’t gone to [in-person] school in a long time and I’m not sure what to expect in college, but I’m excited,” Zhou said.

Between a new learning environment and moving across the country to California, Zhou is expecting a lot of big transitions in the coming years. She has lived in San Antonio, Texas, her whole life, but is ready to adjust to life in Palo Alto.

“I think California’s going to be a lot livelier, probably a lot more crowded and more city life than I’m used to,” said Zhou.

Part of that change means Zhou will be leaning on her family for support, and she will certainly have it in a family full of athletic talent and collegiate experience.

At Love Gymnastics in San Antonio, she is coached primarily by her parents Jing Zhou and Wenjing Wang, both of whom were top gymnasts in China. Her mother, Wenjing, competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics for China, and her dad, Jing, also competed for the Chinese national team.

Her parents moved to the United States in the 1990s and worked as coaches before opening their own gym. Her mother coaches beam and floor, while her dad coaches vault and bars and helps out on floor. At home, her family speaks Chinese, and her parents sometimes coach her in Chinese as well.

Zhou’s older brother David, a Texas A&M graduate with a degree in electrical engineering, will likely be a staple in helping her navigate the college landscape. Though she hasn’t settled on a specific major at Standford yet, Zhou is considering studying a business-related field.

As of now, Zhou is the only elite gymnast training at Love Gymnastics. According to Zhou, she splits her time between training with Level 10 athletes and training alone. After such an individual experience, Zhou is interested to see how she fares in a team environment.

“The team [at Stanford] is a lot bigger than what I’m used to,” Zhou said. “But [college gymnastics] seems fun and exciting and I am looking forward to the new atmosphere.”

A recent member of the U.S. Senior National Team and the 2025 Winter Cup uneven bars champion, Zhou is sure to be a strong contributor at Stanford in the years to come. She intends to take a pause from elite gymnastics upon starting college – at least for the time being.

“I think I’m probably going to focus on college, but I don’t know how I’m going to feel when I’m there,” she said. “I might change my mind.”

However, for now, Zhou is all in on the U.S. championships in Louisiana. Closing out this season and starting off 2026 strong at Winter Cup are her top priorities as she prepares for Stanford in the fall.