The U.S. Gymnastics World Selection camp has finally ended. While the gymnastics realm awaited with bated breaths, the ultimate list of gymnasts who will represent the US at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was released moments after the trials concluded. While Simone Biles had already solidified her position in the team, four more gymnasts have recently been announced. 

Day 2 of the Selection Camp saw excellent routines and performances by almost every gymnast. However, the athletes who had an edge on the first day maintained their momentum on the second, leading up to the ultimate decision.

Simone Biles joined by top US gymnastics stars

The final list of gymnasts joining Simone Biles at the 2023 Women’s World Championships carries the names of Skye Blakely, Shilese Jones, Joscelyn Roberson, and Leanne Wong. Standing at the top of the table with 55.70 points, Simone Biles overtook Shilese Jones by a close margin of 0.4. Jones at 55.30 outscored the Queen of Gymnastics on Bars and Beam, while Biles swept the stakes with higher scores on Vault and Floor routines. 

Skye Blakely who scored the highest points in the beam balance category and came in second on uneven bars, stood 3rd on the table at 55 points. She was followed closely by Joscelyn Roberson at 54.900 points. Roberson’s best performance was in the vault routine, where she stood 2nd, ahead of Simone Biles at 3rd. Finally, closely following Roberson with a difference of .05 in scores is Leanne Wong at 54.850. Her best score was in the bars category where she stood 4th. 

The top five gymnasts of Day 1 successfully defended their spots and over the second day as well. Following back-to-back upsets, these gymnasts overcame brilliant performances by Jordan Chiles, Kaliya Lincoln, and many more.

All is well that ends well

The Selection Camp spanning two days saw a brilliant display of talent and zeal from all the participants as they vied for that coveted spot in the six-member Worlds team. Stakes were high, and so was the competition. And in a sport, where an inch can cost miles, setbacks are easy to happen. And it did.

It all started with the fall of Simone Biles at uneven bars. Due to this, the queen of gymnastics was not even among the top five at the end of rotation 1 sending fans into a frenzy. Then came the heartbreaking fall during Simone’s signature Yurchenko double pike vault. As she landed on her back, the gymnastics enthusiasts were fearing the worst. However, she bounced back just like a queen to rise to the occasion to secure her place in the team on the very first day of the camp.

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Disappointment also struck Simone Biles’ best buddy Jordan Chiles. She was impeccable in her uneven bar routine. But, an out-of-bounds stumble during her floor exercise marred her otherwise impressive performance and she could not make it to the Worlds Team. She however went home with the prize of being selected for her Maiden Pan American Games in Chile. 

As the camp wraps up, the mats are soaked with not only disappointment but also hope for the future. With Simone Biles standing atop, the team also features the future stars of the US Gymnastics. The teenage members of the Worlds Team, Skye Blakely (18) and Joscelyn Roberson (17) have been a reason for setbacks to stars like Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey. As they start their mission to Antwerp later this month, the world will look eagerly for some more happy disappointments!

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