“Second Behind Simone Biles”: 18-Year-Old High Schooler Stuns Fans With Impressive 6.5 Floor Performance

In the realm of gymnastics, an 18-year-old prodigy is capturing the spotlight. While Simone Biles remains a dominant force in 2023’s elite all-around gymnasts, this emerging young talent has quickly risen to prominence during the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Selection Camp.

This prodigy’s position as a key player for Team USA was firmly established by her outstanding performance at the 2023 Pan American Games, where she clinched two gold medals. Now one of the top gymnasts in the United States and gaining fans behind her with best 6.5 floor performance, she is the most competing contender for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.

Road to glory: Kaliya Lincoln sets sights on Paris 2024 Olympics

Kaliya Lincoln was once a 12-year-old girl being coached by her hero Gabby Douglas. Recently the 18-year-old posted a video on her X showing her exceptional skills at the National Training Centre captioning, “last ntc♥️”. r/Gymnastics posted this 6.5-floor performance video of her on Reddit that gained lots of enthusiasm from fans calling her the second Simone Biles. Kaliya Lincoln’s journey from the 2023 Winter Cup, where she claimed a gold medal on the floor, to the 2023 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships, where she secured a second-place finish behind Simone Biles gained a lot of praise.  

Kaliya Lincoln’s recent performance at the 2023 Pan American Games was spectacular, solidifying her status as a primetime player for Team USA. Her outstanding display of skill and determination led to her capturing not just one, but two gold medals – one in the team event and another on the floor exercise. A two-year hiatus from international competition due to a stress fracture in her shin at the end of 2021 and diagnosis of OCD in her knees, requiring surgery, could have derailed her career.

The journey back to competition was undoubtedly tough for Lincoln as she told Inside Gymnastics, “That was definitely hard for me physically and mentally”. She was thinking, “What if I’m not going to be as good anymore? What if my power is not going to be the same?” Now sharing glimpses of her training session for upcoming summer games left her fans in awe. 

Fan frenzy: Kaliya Lincoln’s tumbling pass leaves audiences awestruck

Kaliya Lincoln’s recent video has sparked an outpouring of love and admiration from her fans, with supporters eagerly sharing their heartfelt comments and reactions. One of the fans witnessed Simone Biles’ performance and exclaimed, “I would say that she has the potential to be the 2nd best behind Simone because Simone is the only outlier who can break 15 on floor as of now. Domestically, I don’t think Jade is gonna outscore her even with her Olympic floor difficulty because Jade doesn’t have some valuable dance elements (credible double L / double wolf turn) and she loses at least 0.3 in her D dance elements.” 

Other fan commented on Lincoln’s potential to follow in Biles’ footsteps and become a dominant figure in gymnastics and said, “She has the potential to be the best floor worker in the world.” A fan shared their sentiment, saying, “God her tumbling is so good, I really want to see her floor in Paris! She could genuinely walk away with an Olympic medal on floor”. Someone else chimed in with enthusiasm, “I am rooting for her to make the Paris team!” Another fan expressed a high level of confidence in Kaliya Lincoln’s abilities and said, “I think she has a really high chance for a floor medal in Paris, but I’m not sure whether the selection committee will pick her or a gymnast who can do a Cheng + a potential low 14 floor.” 

Read More: As Simone Biles and Shilese Jones Battle, Another Dark Horse Emerges for America Days Ahead of World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

As the Olympic year approaches, Kaliya Lincoln is maintaining a focused approach, taking her journey one step at a time. Her primary focus is on upgrading her routines, especially on the floor, where she aims to incorporate a laid out double double as Simone Biles. This ambitious goal aligns with her ultimate aspiration of competing at the Olympic Trials. Fans eagerly anticipate her journey and are ready to support her every step of the way.