Setting the Stage for Paris 2024, Shilese Jones Takes America Forward in World Artistic Gymnastics Championship 2023

Day 2 of the World Gymnastics Championship 2023 concluded on a grand note for Shilese Jones. The 21-year-old gymnast claimed high points in almost every category and bagged one of the top all-around spots. While her performance on the uneven bars was the highlight of the day, her floor exercise routine also stole many hearts. Moreover, Jones’s feat on the second day of WAC raised hopes for the Games.

A social media post going viral on the internet provided a glimpse of Jones? brilliant performance. Despite not gaining the upper hand over her frenemesis Simone Biles, the 21-year-old gymnast grabbed a pretty staunch score. In fact, her floor exercise routine inched the US closer to the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Shilese Jones stuns with a great floor routine

Shilese Jones is known for constantly improving herself and delivering a better performance after every successful run. The young American gymnast displayed the same discipline in Belgium by elevating her performance at the Worlds. While Shilese Jones scored 13.500 points at Texas, she scored 13.800 at Antwerp. USA Gymnastics tweeted the stellar performance of Jones on its official X account.

The video showcased a confident Shilese Jones garnering the praise of the crowd with her execution and finesse. Jones? floor exercise performance added to her overall score and put her just below queen Simone Biles. Despite the improvement in her performance, the 21-year-old still lagged behind Biles who attained a score of 14.633 points. While Biles had an advantage over Shilese Jones on the floor, Jones made up for it in the uneven bars. Also, she secured the top spot in the category at the end of day 2 to get back at compatriot Biles.

Shilese Jones maintains her balance on uneven bars

Shilese Jones has been in the shadow of Simone Biles for quite some time, however, is contemplating a different approach now. The 2022 all-around world championship silver medalist is all girded up to claim the gold this time. Jones displayed her polished and strong suit at Antwerp and claimed an insurmountable 14.833 points on bars. In fact, Jones earned the high score and the top spot despite not being able to pull off what she had planned to.

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Jones felt a slight pull at her toe mid-routine and quickly evaluated her situation. The gymnast immediately found out that her injuries may not allow her to properly, or even safely, finish her routine. Thus, with a smart move, Jones chose to go for a safer and finer execution over a difficult and more valuable one.

Her gamble to keep the flamethrower going instantly paid off and she won her points with just a double front instead of a double front and half. The 21-year-old now looks forward to winning at least two gold medals before advancing to the 2024 Olympics. Will Jones be able to walk out of Belgium as a double-gold winner??

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