Simone Biles Sweeps All Four Apparatuses At 2024 U.S. Championships To Automically Qualify For Olympic Trials
U.S. women's gymnastics champion Simone Biles performs her floor routine during the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena on June 2, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. Biles won gold on all four events and the all-around with a whopping 119.750 on her way to her record 9th U.S. Championship title.
Biles, seeking a record fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in 2024, has already begun to write history by becoming the first American gymnast to qualify for the Olympics by winning the all-around title at the U.S. Championships. The 24-year-old phenom came into the finals looking to solidify her spot on the Olympic team with a strong performance. She didn't disappoint. She posted the highest scores on each event, giving her a total of 119.750 across four apparatuses.
She finished nearly 6 points ahead of second-place finisher Skye Blakely (113.850), and the two were able to finish what they started on night one to automatically qualify to compete at the 2024 Olympic Trials on June 28-30. In securing her spot at the upcoming Olympic Trials, Biles said, "It feels really great. This is my last chance to qualify for the Olympics, so it feels like I delivered for myself today, and I'm really proud of how I did." The seven-time Olympic medalist will look to add to her impressive medal tally in Paris this summer.
Night two of the U.S. Championships was also marked by mistakes from veterans. Suni Lee (vault), Jordan Chiles (beam), Jade Carey (beam), Leanne Wong (beam), Kayla DiCello (bars) and even Biles (vault) all had falls, which results in a one-point deduction. The USA Gymnastics selection committee also had two petitions to consider from injured athletes: Shilese Jones, who pulled out of the U.S. Championships on Friday following the podium training due to a shoulder injury flareup (labrum tear from 2022), and Kaliya Lincoln, who was injured in day one of competition and withdrew from the second day.
Immediately following the competition, USA Gymnastics announced that both petitions from Jones and Lincoln were accepted. Shortly after, the selection committee announced a 16-roster U.S. national team, with each athlete advancing to the Olympic Trials. The roster includes Simone Biles (119.750) and Skye Blakely (113.850), who automatically qualified at the U.S. Championships, as well as Kayla DiCello (110.800), Suni Lee (110.65), Jordan Chiles (110.4), Hezly Rivera (110.35), Jade Carey (109.3), Leanne Wong (108.65), Tiana Sumanasekera (108.55), Joscelyn Roberson (108.2), Dulcy Caylor, Eveylynn Lowe, Zoey Molomo, Simone Rose, and Kaliya Lincoln and Shilese Jones, who qualified via petition.
The USA Gymnastics Women's National Team Coordinator, Karen Golzoniello, said, "This is the deepest group we've had in many, many years, probably ever. We have a lot of options, and that's a good problem to have." The selection committee will name the Olympic team following the Olympic Trials, where the top three finishers earn automatic berths. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place July 26 - August 11 in Paris, France.