If you were able to correctly choose all the members of the US women’s Olympic gymnastics team before the Trials in June, well, you might want to go ahead and buy a lottery ticket right now.
That’s because the results were nearly impossible to predict, thanks to injuries that took several of the front-runners out of commission. Heading into the Trials, it looked like the team had a couple of locks for the five available team spots—Simone Biles, of course, fresh off her historic ninth national all-around title and preparing for her third Olympics, being one of them. Two-time national uneven bars champ Shilese Jones, Tokyo alternate Kayla DiCello, and Skye Blakely all seemed like they could be likely contenders as well, along with, of course, Olympic veterans like Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, who were looking to make it to their second Games.
And then in a three-day span before and during Trials, Blakely, Jones, and DiCello were all out of the running with serious injuries: Blakely and DiCello to their Achilles and Jones to her knee.
When those gymnasts scratched from competition, what appeared to be a race for one, maybe two spots on the team suddenly opened up. By the time the Trials concluded on June 30—with Biles finishing in first place—the final team was one few would have predicted just a few days prior. Still, the talent is deep, and the team stands to make its mark in Paris.
Heading to the Summer Games will be: Biles, Lee, Chiles, Carey, and perhaps the biggest surprise, newcomer Hezly Rivera, a 16-year-old in her first year of senior elite competition who excelled on uneven bars and balance beam—two events where Team USA team sorely missed their injured gymnasts. Together, they’ll look to bring team gold back to the US once again, after the team placed second behind the Russian Olympic Committee in Tokyo.
Let’s take a closer look at the five athletes who will represent the US in women’s artistic gymnastics in Paris.
Simone Biles: Prioritizing Mental Health, Returning at the Top of Her Game
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