Biles Breaks Barriers at 2024 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials

In 2024, Simone Biles created history by qualifying for her third Olympic squad on the last day of competition in the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials. Just the fourth American woman to reach this milestone, Biles, at 27 years old, became the oldest American women's gymnast to make an Olympic team in 72 years. With an all-around score of 117.225 at Trials, Biles secured an automatic spot.

"I knew after the Tokyo performances I wasn't done," Biles stated. "So I knew I'd be back just getting back in the gym, then working hard and just trusting the process with Cecile and Laurent (Landi)."

Three of her Tokyo Olympic teammates—Suni Lee, who scored 111.675; Jordan Chiles, who got 111.425; and Jade Carey, who scored 111.350—will be travelling with Biles to Paris. With a 111.150 score, first-year senior Hezly Rivera completed the team and made her maiden Games appearance.

For the first time, two Olympic all-around champions—2016's Biles and 2020's Tokyo champion Lee—are on this historic squad. Unexpected turns abounded during the trials, including the abrupt withdrawal of multiple top candidates because of injury. Twenty-four-year-old U.S. national all-around silver medalist Skye Blakely withdrew after participating just on the uneven bars, and six-time world medalist Shilese Jones withdrew after suffering an Achilles injury in practice. An Achilles injury to Tokyo Olympic alternate Kayla DiCello also left room for additional competitors.

Second rotation

Wong scored 13.625 for a strong floor routine that kicked off the rotation. Carey performed a flawless beam routine, scoring 13.625, while Kaliya Lincoln, in spite of an out-of-bounds landing, turned in a floor routine that scored 13.650. Biles had a setback on the balance beam but still managed a 13.900. Strong floor performance by Lee brought her a 13.850, and beam routine by Sumanasekera brought her a 13.950. Rivera received a 13.550 for her strong floor routine, and Roberson received a 14.050 for her beam routine. Chiles finished with 12.225 after struggling on the beam.

Fourth rotation

Tiana Sumanasekera left a big impression as the competition heated up with a stuck Yurchenko double twist, scoring a 14.350. With a score of 14.300—two tenths higher than her last effort—Hezly Rivera shone on the uneven bars. While Jordan Chiles performed a flawless Yurchenko double twist and a well-executed Lopez for her second vault, both of them earned 14.500, Joscelyn Roberson performed a strong Cheng.

With a 14.675 for her Cheng, Jade Carey routinely wows the audience on the uneven bars, and with a 14.875 for her Nabieva to Bhardwaj link, Suni Lee wows again. Biles demonstrated her prowess with a 15.500 Yurchenko double pike.

Fifth rotation

Despite a step out of bounds, Biles scored 14.725 in a spectacular floor routine. Lee vaulted a 14.100 to close her trials. With a breathtaking floor routine to close out, Sumanasekera scored 13.725, while Rivera finished her performance with a flawless Yurchenko double twist, earning 14.200. Roberson's moving floor performance brought her a 13.925, and Chiles finished with a 14.100. Carey finished with a 14.150 on vault, and Wong executed a Cheng to score 14.500.

Sixth rotation

With a flawless routine on the uneven bars and a score of 14.200, Chiles showed her dependability again. Leanne Wong put up a strong 13.650 on the balancing beam. Though she struggled on the uneven bars, Carey finished her routine with a 13.075. While Lee struggled on the beam, earning 12.825, biles scored 14.200 on the uneven bars. Rivera, though, scored 14.275 for a strong beam routine.

Appendices

Top of the final standings were Biles with 117.225, Lee with 111.675, Chiles with 111.425, Carey with 111.350, and Rivera with 111.150. Each member of the U.S. Olympic squad for Paris, Biles, Lee, Chiles, Carey, and Rivera, contributes special talents to the group.

Gymnastics history will remember Simone Biles's 27-year-old return to the Olympics. Her path, together with those of her gifted comrades, looks to make the next Games an event to never forget. An thrilling Olympic competition was built up by the trials, which demonstrated the athletes' abilities as well as their tenacity and will.