?Grip Wasn?t Fully on the Bar?: Shilese Jones Already Reeling From Devastating Injuries Takes Huge Risk at World Artistic Gymnastics 2023

The World Gymnastics Championship acted as another proving ground for Shilese Jones to surpass the GOAT Simone Biles. Jones has been trying to make her mark for quite some time but always falls a tad bit shorter than Biles. In fact, this time, she was ready to take a huge risk despite her injuries.

Shilese Jones entered the grand stage of the World Championship in Belgium after earning her shot at the selection camp. The earnest gymnast performed her best and struck a punch above her weight, but had to gamble her chances for it. While the move to overtake Simone Biles could go either way, she did get what she wanted.

Shilese Jones takes advantage of her strong suit against Simone Biles

Shilese Jones is the top contender to replace Simone Biles from her undisputed throne. In fact, Jones is insanely strong in the area where Biles suffers the most: uneven bars. A post-matchup interview caught Shilese Jones speaking about her uneven bars routine. According to Jones,??I did get my connection from my Shaposh half, and then I just kind of felt a little bit of a pull. My toe half was like a little rushed and like my grip wasn’t fully on the bar.??When the gamble showed some chance of unraveling, Jones decided to turn on the safety.

?So I was like, just play it safe and do the double front. But double front half is the goal.? Despite playing it safe and keeping her injuries in mind, Jones still managed to grab the top spot in the uneven bars category. She claimed a staunch score of 14.833 with her routine. This put Jones right next to Simone Biles at the number two position in the all-around category.?

Jones and her hunt for the gold

Shilese Jones was mostly in the shadow of Simone Biles at the various home tournaments in the US. She also stood second at the selection camp for the World Gymnastics Championship with a 0.400 difference. The 2022 world all-around silver medalist would like to give an alchemic performance in Belgium to claim the gold.?

ALSO READ – Denied History Repeatedly, Shilese Jones Outclasses Simone Biles to Lead America in World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2023

The 21-year-old received an all-around score of 56.932 on day 1 while Biles stands on top with 58.865 points. The current difference stands at 1.933 points, but Jones? uneven bars performance is proof of her readiness. While she has an edge over Biles in uneven Bars, Biles also possesses an anti-venom in the form of floor exercise. Will Jones be able to surpass Biles at the end of the tournament?

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