While not at her unparalleled best, Biles had little trouble sprinting to the lead at the U.S. Olympic trials on Friday.Simone Biles smiles after the floor exercise at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials on Friday, June 28, 2024, in Minneapolis.The list of contenders hoping to join her in Paris is thinning quickly.
DiCello, a 2020 Olympic alternate, tore the Achilles in her right foot when she stepped onto the vault springboard. Jones, a six-time world championship medalist, tweaked her knee during vault warm-ups. She returned to grit her way through an uneven bars routine before skipping balance beam and floor exercise. Her status for Sunday's finals is uncertain.
Sunisa Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion who has spent most of the last two years battling kidney-related health issues, used a pair of excellent sets on uneven bars and balance beam in front of a hometown crowd to come in third.Biles, as she has for most of the last 11 years, stands alone. Biles also stepped out of bounds on her floor routine, a hazard considering the power she generated during tumbling passes that have redefined what's possible in her sport. She ended on a high note nailing her signature Yurchenko Double Pike vault that drew a standing ovation. Her score of 15.975 was the highest of the night on any event by a wide margin and gave her plenty of breathing room heading into Sunday.Jones, the top American gymnast not named Biles when healthy, hoped to join her.
While Jones put together an excellent 14.625 even while doing a slightly watered-down routine, she gingerly made her way off the podium. She talked to medical staff for several minutes before pulling herself out of her final two rotations on balance beam and floor exercise.DiCello left the University of Florida after her freshman year to return home to Maryland and focus on the Olympics.