North Cook News

Oakton Community College (OCC) is being represented in the 2016 Summer Olympics by rhythmic gymnast Alisa Kano.

Kano, who had been taking classes at OCC since 2013, is on the United States' five-member rhythmic-gymnastics squad in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

This year's squad will be the second U.S. team to compete in the sport at the Olympics and the first in 20 years.

In an email interview with the North Cook News, Kano said she got into rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 9, when she met a girl who was already into the sport.

“She invited me to her competition, and I fell in love with it,” Kano, who was born in Tokyo and lived in New York until she was 17 years old, said.

Rhythmic gymnastics includes moves such as spins and jumps being done to music, with items such as ropes, hoops, balls, clubs and ribbons being used as well. Rope will not be included in this year's Olympics.

Kano called rhythmic gymnastics “a unique and beautiful sport.”

"I love how we are able to use equipment such as ribbons, clubs, balls, hoops and ropes while doing elements and collaborations,” she said. “I especially love group events because it's very interesting to watch. There is just so much going on in each routine.”

While still in New York, Kano said, she trained as an individual competitor. Later, she moved to Glencoe, Illinois, when invited to train at North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center with the national team. She graduated high school in 2013, and had been continuing her education with OCC online and on campus since then. Kano said she will be attending Loyola University in Chicago this fall.

Her time with the team has been successful, with consistent top-15 finishes in the world-championship group all-around event starting in 2013. At last year's World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, the U.S team was the highest-placing nation from the Americas, which qualified the squad for this year's Olympics.

“I was in shock," Kano said of qualifying. "At that moment, all our dreams came true, and we just couldn't believe it."

Other team members are Kiana Eide, Natalie McGiffert, Monica Rokhman and Kristen Shaldybin, with Jennifer Rokhman as the alternate.

Kano said training since qualifying has been intense because of the repetition required for routines, tosses, collaborations and other elements.

“More intense, but our goal hasn't changed -- clean routines, expressive, powerful and consistency,” she said.

News reports over the past few months have focused on the issues taking place in the run-up to the Rio Games, from concerns over the Zika virus to facilities being completed on time. Kano, however, had a different perspective.

“We have no concerns,” she said. “We are focused on our goal there, and we are just super-excited to compete.”

The rhythmic-gymnastics portion of the Olympics will be Aug. 19-21.