Simone Biles Makes History with Third Olympic Qualification

Simone Biles, the reigning world champion and four-time Olympic gold medallist, secured her place in her third Olympic Games by finishing first in the all-around competition at the 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis on Sunday.

Biles, 27, will become the fourth American woman gymnast to compete in three Olympics.

She scored 117.225 overall, followed by Suni Lee with 111.675 and Jordan Chiles with 111.425. Biles automatically qualified for the team, joining Lee, Chiles, Jade Carey, and 16-year-old Hezly Rivera. Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong were named travelling replacements.

Biles began her competition on the vault, scoring 15.500 with her signature Yurchenko double pike. She continued with the uneven bars, scoring 14.200. Despite a shaky performance on the beam, scoring 13.900, she finished strong with a 14.725 on her floor routine, earning a standing ovation.

At the Tokyo Games in 2021, Biles experienced “the twisties,” a mental block causing gymnasts to lose track of their body positions, leading her to withdraw from several events. She returned to competitive gymnastics last year after a break to focus on her mental health.

Biles emphasised the importance of mental health, crediting regular therapy sessions for her return to the Olympics. She expressed pride in becoming the oldest American woman gymnast since the 1950s to head to the Olympics and spoke about mentoring younger gymnasts.

Simone Biles has had an exceptional year, winning her ninth title at the US Championships. She entered the trials as the favourite and led the standings after the first day.

In Paris, she will first compete in the women’s team final on 30th July, two days before the all-around final. The Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11.