Shilese Jones has made her way into the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship after killing it at almost every stage. The 21-year-old US senior gymnast has her sights set on the all-around gold medal this year, after her 2022 silver run. In fact, Jones has already delivered her first strike to lay claim to the championship title in Belgium.

Shilese Jones bagged the first spot in the uneven bars category at the global stage of Antwerp. However, the top slot didn’t come easy for her, as she had some difficulty during her routine. A video released on social media captured Shilese Jones in an interview where she mentioned the problems she faced. Fans reacted to the lovely and cheerful reply by their favorite gymnast and expressed their hearty feelings.

Shilese Jones on being unable to finish what she started

Shilese Jones arrived at the mats of Antwerp, Belgium with a clear mission of making her mark at the World Artistic Gymnastics qualifiers. Jones wanted to make full use of her ace of spades, her uneven bars prowess, but had to improvise mid-routine. The 2022 uneven bars and all-around silver medalist found herself in a pinch due to her injuries. Despite this, Shilese Jones kept the show going and still managed to get a staggeringly high score of 14.833 points. At the end of day one of the qualifiers, Biles leads the all-around, vault, balance beam, and floor exercise standings, with Jones ahead on the uneven bars.

Speaking about her performance in an interview, Jones said, “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.” She further added, “So I was like, just play it safe and do the double front. But double front half is the goal.” The transition worked perfectly for Shilese Jones, who still has a shot at the all-around gold. The fans melted the hearts of gymnastics fans with her confident smile after a hard-earned victory. 

Overjoyed fans express their love and support for Jones

Fans clamored with joy when their favorite gymnast made it to the top in the uneven bars category. One of the fans said, “She is amazing on bars!!” Another one appreciated her presence of mind saying, “Smart and fast decision making for her to pull out that score still! Can’t wait to see what she accomplishes!” While Shilese Jones’ performance on the bars received several compliments, one of the fans also appreciated her floor routine.

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“I’ve NEVER teared up during a floor routine before. Frankly, in most meets, I can barely hear the music. This routine, the music, and the emotion…the skills are completely amazing too!! Thank you!” said the moved fan. This is a heavy compliment, considering that she heavily trails behind Biles when it comes to floor exercise. Another beautiful compliment said, “She’s so beautiful and so is her gymnastics.” 

Lastly, and most interestingly, one of the fans replaced their favorite gymnast with Shilese Jones. “Love her she is my favorite now!!!” exclaimed the fan. Strengthened by all this love, Jones will look forward to eclipsing Biles for the world all-around gold medal at Belgium. Will her conquest yield the golden fruit she craves?

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