CNN
—
Reigning world champion Simone Biles finished atop of the leaderboard after the first night of competition at the 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics Trials Friday in Minneapolis.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished with an overall score of 58.900. Jordan Chiles sits in second with 56.400 points and Suni Lee in third with 56.025 points ahead of Sunday night’s trials finale.
Biles started her night on the uneven bars, posting a score of 14.425. In her second rotation on the balance beam, the 27-year-old looked uncharacteristically shaky, nearly falling on her mount and then taking a small hop on her dismount. She posted a score of 13.650 and found herself in second place.
For reference, Biles posted identical 14.800 scores in both of her attempts at the US Gymnastics Championships four weeks ago, when she won her ninth all-around title.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist then dazzled with her floor routine, landing the Biles II – one of several skills named after her – during her third rotation. She earned a score of 14.850 for her impressive performance, which moved her into first place.
Biles closed out the night in style, getting a standing ovation after performing the gravity-defying Yurchenko double pike on the vault. She earned a score of 15.975.
Biles, who became the most decorated gymnast ever at last year’s world championships, is among 16 women and 20 men vying for a place on the US team in Paris.
The US Championships victory – which saw her awarded the highest cumulative scores in the four events – underlined Biles’ dominance ahead of the Paris Olympics, three years after she withdrew from the Tokyo Games with “the twisties” – a mental block causing gymnasts to lose track of their body positions.
After the championships, Biles said she was enjoying her gymnastics and “not stressing or having any anxiety.”
Five gymnasts will form the woman’s squad heading to the Paris Olympics. The winner of the all-around competition clinches an automatic berth, while the other four are chosen by a three-person selection committee.
Biles is seeking to become the fourth American woman to compete in three Olympic games, capping off her successful return to the sport after taking an extended break to prioritize her mental health.
