Jessica Gil Ortíz

Jessica Gil Ortiz (born 7 December 1990) is a Colombian former artistic gymnast who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the first Colombian gymnast to win a gold medal on the World Cup series.

Early life and education Ortiz was born in Miami; her parents were Colombian immigrants. Her mother owned a gym, which was how she was introduced to the sport.

She studied business in Miami. The next year, she finished in 59th place at the 2007 World Championships. She had hoped to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics at the competition, but she missed doing so after she fractured her heel a day before the competition; she fell on the balance beam due to her injury. However, she was not seriously injured by the fall.

In January 2010, Ortiz went to a clinic with severe abdominal pain and had emergency surgery for appendicitis. She spent a month in the hospital. Afterward, she struggled to train and initially decided to leave gymnastics; however, her parents convinced her to begin training again. This was the first medal won by a Colombian gymnast on the World Cup circuit. The next year, she competed at the 2011 World Championships and finished 77th in qualifications.

At the 2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event in January, Ortiz qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She competed there later in the year, where she finished 42nd in the all-around qualifications.