In gymnastics, selecting an Olympic team is like filling in the pieces to a puzzle. In the Olympic team final, three gymnasts from each team will compete in each event. Each of their scores will count towards the group’s total score. The team is made up of five gymnasts so there is room to select gymnasts who have different strengths on four different events. A selection committee will decide the members of the team based on who they feel creates the best group. They will look at scores earned by each individual gymnast across 2024, how difficult a gymnast’s routine is and how well they execute them.

The locks 

Following the competition at the Core Classic and the U.S. National Championship there are two gymnasts who have nearly secured their ticket to Paris: Simone Biles and Shilese Jones. 

At the National Championship, Biles topped the standings on every event and in the all-around She earned a 60.450 total score on Day 1 of competition and a total of 119.750 across both days. Due to Biles’ ability on all four events, she can compete on each apparatus in the team final. 

Jones has also proven that she deserves to compete in Paris after an incredible performance at the U.S. Classic. She earned a 57.650 in the all-around and a  15.250 on uneven bars, the highest score on the event that an American gymnast has posted this year. However, a minor shoulder injury may be the only thing blocking her path. Jones withdrew from the National Championship when her shoulder flared up following the Core Classic. 

“If this had been Olympic trials, we would have competed this weekend her shoulder hurts but it is structurally sound,” Jones’ coach, Sarah Korngold said.

If Jones is recovered for the Olympic Trials, she can greatly help the team on vault, bars and floor.

Likely team members

There are two gymnasts who have proven at the National Championship that they would be extremely valuable to the U.S. team in Paris: world champion Skye Blakely and reigning Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee. 

Blakely finished second in the all-around behind Biles and earned a 15.000 on vault on Day 1, scoring second. She has proven that she can provide worthy routines on both vault and beam in addition to being a great backup on bars and floor. 

After battling two kidney diseases, Sunisa Lee has mounted a comeback to elite gymnastics. At the National Championship Lee finished fourth in the all-around and earned a 14.900 on beam on Day 2 for the highest single beam score across both days of competition. Lee can help the team’s scoring potential on both bars and beam. She is the reigning Olympic bronze medalist on bars and has already shown strong scores on beam throughout the year. 

Two more strong days of competition for both of these athletes at the Olympic trials and their ticket to Paris will be secured. 

The battle for the fifth spot

While it seems like the four athletes are frontrunners to earn spots on the Olympic team, the fifth spot remains uncertain. The place where the fifth team member will be looking to boost the team score will be on floor exercise and vault. Multiple athletes remain in contention. 

One athlete in the running to take the fifth spot is Kayla DiCello. She finished third in the all-around at the National Championship and second on floor exercise scoring a 13.850 Day 1 and a 13.950 Day 2. On vault, she earned a 14.400 on Day 1 and 14.350 on Day 2. DiCello also brings the ability to break the 14 mark on bars and beam which greatly showcases her potential. 

Tokyo Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles will also be looking to grab the fifth spot. After falling on floor in Day 1 of the National Championship, Chiles rebounded on Day 2 with a  score of 14.100 on floor, which was the third highest score of the event. Vault scores were also very strong earning a 14.150 on Day 1 and a 14.400 on Day 2. Similar to DiCello, Chiles could also make a case on bars and beam as she earned a 14.500 both days on uneven bars to finish second. 

The reigning Olympic Champion on floor exercise Jade Carey will be another contender heading into trials. On vault, she fared well earning a 14.500 on Day 1 of National Championship and a 14.600 on Day 2. One area she can improve on is the floor exercise. On Day 1, she earned a 13.600 and on Day 2 a 13.700. While her floor scores are down slightly compared to Chiles and DiCello, she may be planning to add more difficulty to her routine in order to score higher. 

Kaliya Lincoln could also contend for the fifth spot as a specialist on floor exercise. A small injury kept her out of the National Championship, but a strong routine in the U.S. Classic earned her 14.000. If she is able to return to that form by trials, a spot to Paris could be hers. 

The dark horses

World Champion Leanne Wong is the only American gymnast to take part in every world championship since the previous Olympic Games. After falling on beam at the National Championship, she will be looking to perform each routine cleanly at trials to stay in contention as any mistakes will take her out of the running for a spot on the team. Her floor scores of 13.700 and 13.600 were on par with her competitors and helped her to a fourth place finish on floor. 

Joscelyn Roberson was a member of last year’s World Championship team. However, an injury at the World Championship slowed her progress as she has been in the process of returning to full strength. A 14.000 on floor at the National Championship reveals her progress. 

Tiana Sumanasekera looked strong on vault, beam and floor at the National Championship. She finished third on floor and earned high 13s and low 14s across these three events. Sumanasekera could contend for an alternate position. 

The U.S. Women will compete at the Olympic trials on June 28 and 30 in Minneapolis. The team will be announced directly following the second day of competition. 

Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com