By Simone Biles, the legendary gymnast with 37 world and Olympic medals, made a triumphant return to competition by winning the Core Hydration Classic, her first meet of the 2024 season. The star-studded competition in Hartford featured eight Olympic and world championship medalists, including Olympic all-around champions Suni Lee and Gabby Douglas.
However, the competition was not without its surprises. Gabby Douglas, aiming for her third Olympic team at the age of 28, withdrew from the event after struggling on the uneven bars in the first rotation. Despite hitting a clean set during warm-ups, Douglas fell twice during the competition, resulting in a score of 10.100.
Biles, on the other hand, started strong with a 14.550 on the balance beam, where she currently holds the world championship title. She then wowed the audience on the floor exercise by performing the triple-twisting double salto, an eponymous skill she hadn’t competed since the qualifying round at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Biles earned the highest score of the night, a stunning 15.600, when she executed a Yurchenko double pike on the vault, another skill named after her. She secured the all-around title with an impressive 14.550 on the uneven bars.
“I was just happy to be back out there,” Biles said during the Peacock broadcast. “As long as we’re there cheering each other on, hoping for the best and having confidence in each other’s gymnastics, then it’s going to work.”
Shilese Jones emerged as the nation’s second-strongest all-around gymnast, finishing second overall and winning the uneven bars with an outstanding 15.250. Suni Lee, the reigning Olympic all-around champion, won the balance beam with a 14.600 but did not compete on the uneven bars. She expressed her desire to compete in all four events at the upcoming U.S. Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.
“I think I’m starting to build a lot more confidence on beam,” Lee said after the meet. “I think it’s super important that we start feeling the nerves now because it’s only gonna get harder.” She emphasized the importance of taking her mental preparation day by day, acknowledging that she’s not quite where she wants to be yet but remains optimistic about her progress.
Konnor McClain, the 2022 U.S. champion, also withdrew from the competition despite a strong performance on the balance beam. She appeared to sustain an injury while warming up for her second rotation on the floor exercise and later returned to the arena on crutches. McClain had recently helped the LSU Tigers secure their first NCAA championship last month, making this meet her first elite competition in nearly two years.
The Core Hydration Classic served as the final qualification opportunity for the U.S. Championships later this month. While Biles and her fellow Olympic champions had already secured their spots in Fort Worth, the Classic was a crucial stepping stone towards making the five-member Paris Olympic team this summer.
Douglas, despite having qualified for the U.S. Championships, will need to petition to compete in all four events there due to her withdrawal from the Classic. The selection committee will use a series of competitions this season, culminating with the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis at the end of June, to determine the members of the Paris Olympic team.
Biles’ victory on Saturday marked her first competitive outing since the World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, in October, where she won a historic sixth individual all-around world title, medaled on three of the four events, and led the U.S. women to their seventh consecutive team victory.
Three weeks prior, Douglas had made her comeback at the American Classic in Katy, Texas, her first competition since the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite placing 10th in the all-around, her scores on the vault and balance beam qualified her to compete in those events at the U.S. Championships.
“I have to give myself a little bit of grace,” Douglas said of her comeback. “It ended rough for me in 2016, so I didn’t want to end on that note. I want to make sure I end on love and joy instead of hating something that I love.”
During a training session in Hartford on Friday, Douglas expressed her love for the current generation of gymnasts, stating, “We’re pushing the boundaries and saying, ‘Hey, you don’t have to be 16.'”
The gymnasts representing the U.S. in Paris will be selected at the Olympic Trials on June 27-30, with the athletes competing there being determined at the U.S. Championships.
Credit: NBCNews.com
