Despite Overcoming Multiple Injuries, Shilese Jones’s Rise Marred at World Artistic Gymnastics Championship 2023

The absence of Gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles in the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was significant. This was until Washington’s pride Shilese Jones stepped up. If it wasn’t for Jones’s silver win, U.S. domination would have suffered a historic setback. After all, the last time a World championship wrapped up without an American woman on the all-around podium was 2003. Come 2023, Simone Biles is back, who rightfully reclaimed her throne. But for Jones, who was returning to competition in nearly 10 months, Apparatus Day 2 finals became the reason for her undoing.

Jones’s return to the 2023 edition happened after dealing with a torn labrum in her shoulder, and an ankle that had been troubling her since the Worlds in October. In the all-around finals, Jones secured a bronze medal, sharing the podium with gold medalist Simone Biles and silver medalist Rebeca Andrade. Her presence continued to be felt on the Apparatus Finals Day 1, only to face a major upset on Day 2 of the Apparatus finals.

Shilese Jones faces heart-breaking upset

On the uneven bars finals on Apparatus Finals Day 1, Jones won the bronze medal, while Qiu Qiyuan of China, making her debut at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, earned the gold with a score of 15.100. On Day 2, during the balance beam finals, Jones faced a heart-breaking upset that dashed her hopes of reaching the podium. Interestingly, it wasn’t something that Jones had not anticipated.

After the All-Around finals, Shi Jones the bronze medalist had even mentioned that her highlight was the balance beam saying, ?My highlights, probably beam. Beam has been a little up and down when I go to compete; I just get a little bit nervous. But in training and stuff, it?s been going so well. So just channeling my emotions and being able to hit it like I do at practice.??

Jones’s worst fear became reality. She landed short on the double pike and fell, resulting in an execution score of 7.333 and a difficulty score of 5.600, giving her a combined total of 12.933 and placing her in the 7th position in the final standings. According to Emily Giambalvo on X, “Shilese Jones falls on her double pike dismount in the beam final.”

Her routine included impressive elements such as a Switch mount to switch 1/2, a standing Arabian, graceful leaps, a two-foot layout with a slight leg lift on landing, a side aerial, a full pirouette, and a double pike dismount. Her fall was surprising in that, during official practice at the 2023 U.S.?Gymnastics Championships in San Jose, California, Jones seemed to have been in fine form with an upgraded series on the balance beam. Despite the major miss, Team USA still made it to the podium.

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The final standings of the night

In contrast, Shilese’s teammate, Simone Biles, who had faced challenges on Day 1 Vault and Uneven bars finals, excelled on the balance beam apparatus, securing the gold once more. Biles took home the gold with a total score of 14.800, an execution score of 8.300, and a difficulty score of 6.500, while Zhou Yaqin of China claimed the silver with a total score of 14.700.

Rebeca Andrade (Brazil) took home the bronze medal with a score of 14.300. Jones’s journey at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with highs and lows.

However, with grace and poise, she has still managed to prove that she is a force to be reckoned with, despite her past injuries. With her eyes focused on the Paris Olympics 2024, fans can’t wait to see the magic she continues to create.

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