Evita Griskenas is an American individual rhythmic gymnast. She is a current member of the USA Rhythmic Gymnastics National Team. Evita has won multiple medals in international competition representing both North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center and the USA National Team. At the USA national level, Evita is the three-time All-Around silver medalist at the USA Senior National Championships and the USA Junior All-Around National Champion in 2015. In August 2019, Evita was recognized for having won the most medals by any single athlete in any sport at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, winning four gold medals and one bronze medal. In September 2019, Evita secured one of two Olympic spots for USA for Tokyo 2020 by finishing 8th All-Around at the 2019 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Personal life
Evita Griskenas was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Orland Park, Illinois where she attended Carl Sandburg High School. Evita graduated from high school in 2019. She is currently training for the 2020 Summer Olympics at the North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center. Evita started ballroom dancing along with ballet at the age of 4 — with Russian, Bulgarian and Cuban instructors — to help her rhythmic career. Evita's parents, Sigitas and Olga Griskenas, are immigrants from Lithuania and served as Lithuanian national fitness team coaches until 2000. Both were Lithuanian National Champions in Fitness. Sigitas was twice the World Fitness Champion, and Vice Mr. Fitness Universe in 2000. Olga finished fifth place in Fitness Aerobics in 1997 and 1998. Both Olga and Sigitas were World Fitness Champions in Couples in Syros, Greece, in 2000. Evita has one younger brother, Nathan, who does archery.
Rhythmic Gymnastics Career
Senior Career Highlights
Evita was the highest ranked American gymnast at the 2019 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in September 2019, finishing in 8th place All-Around. Evita secured one of two Olympic spots for Team USA for Tokyo 2020, along with teammate Laura Zeng. Evita was the most decorated athlete in any sport at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru in 2019. She won five medals for Team USA, including gold in the All-Around; three gold medals in Ball, Hoop and Ribbon; and a bronze medal for Clubs. In both 2018 and 2019, Evita won the All-Around silver medal at the USA National Championships.
In 2019, Evita won gold in the Ribbon final, and the silver medals in both Hoop and Ball.
In 2018, she won the gold in Ball and the silver in Hoop.
Evita advanced to the All-Around finals of the 2018 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. The previous year, at her first World Championships, Evita advanced to the All-Around, Ribbon and Hoop finals at the 2017 World Championships in Pesaro, Italy. Evita Griskenas won the All-Around gold medal and gold in all four apparatus finals at the 2017 Pan American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Daytona, Florida.
Junior Career Highlights
Evita was the USA Junior National Champion in 2015, winning 1st place All-Around. In February 2015, Evita finished 3rd All-Around at the 2015 Moscow Grand Prix Junior International Tournament, Moscow, Russia.
Notable Accomplishments
Evita made history as part of the best-ever USA World Championship team, finishing 7th in the 2018 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. The team included Laura Zeng and Camilla Feeley.
Evita qualified for 6 event finals out of 8 during the 2019 World Cup series, and finished 6th All-Around at two events.
