2 Chicago-Area Athletes Head to London

Anna Li joins the women's gymnastics team as an alternate, and Wallace Spearmon Jr. won his spot for a chance at redemption

Two local athletes won their trips to London Sunday to represent the U.S. in the Olympics.

Aurora's Anna Li joins the women's gymnastics team as an alternate, and Chicago's own track-and-field star Wallace Spearmon Jr. scored a spot for his chance at redemption.

Despite a surgery in October that put two pins in Li's foot, she showed strong finishes Sunday on the uneven bars and was named a replacement on the U.S. team.

The 23-year-old is the second-oldest female gymnast at the trials, and she is considered taller and heavier than most of the competitors. 

Both of Li's parents are former gymnasts and both won Olympic medals for China back in 1984.

"It's really exciting," Li said after the competition, "because my parents have already been to the Olympics so they know what it takes to get there, and having them be there to guide me ... it's really great to have them be mentors, and I always wanted to be just like them."

Spearmon Jr. blazed his way to the finish in 19.83 seconds to win the men's 200-meter race.

The win gets him another chance to medal in the Olympics. Spearmon Jr. finished third in the Olympics four years ago but was later disqualified for stepping out of his lane.

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