Shilese Jones, once a top contender for the Olympics, showcased her prowess with impressive performances at the Core Hydration Classics and the Xfinity Games. Her 2023 triumphs, including winning the US uneven bars title and securing silver in the all-around competition, solidified her position as a frontrunner for the US female gymnastics team. The team is heading to Paris for the Summer Olympics in August. 

However, a barrage of unfortunate events has shaken up the rankings of the gymnastics world. This added uncertainty to the Olympic journey of many athletes. Despite Simone Biles’s continued dominance with back-to-back golds, unforeseen hurdles are now challenging the paths of other gymnasts. This makes the upcoming US Olympic gymnastics trials in Minneapolis a pivotal and unpredictable event for both fans and athletes alike.

Race to join Simone Biles: Assessing Shilese Jones’ potential at the US Olympic Gymnastics Trials

NBC News recently reported on Twitter that 6X world medalist Shilese Jones will not be participating in this weekend’s U.S. Championships, with the caption, “Six-time world medalist Shilese Jones will not compete at this weekend’s U.S. Championships, she announced ahead of Friday’s competition in Fort Worth, Texas.” Jones announced this setback ahead of Friday’s competition in Fort Worth, Texas. The heartbreaking news for Shilese Jones surfaced after she began experiencing intense shoulder pain. This setback stemmed from a previous injury when she tore the labrum in her right shoulder back in 2022. 

Despite managing to stage a successful comeback, the pain resurfaced just before the Xfinity Games. On Wednesday, following her participation in the U.S. Classic two weeks earlier, the pain reached a debilitating point where she “barely could raise my arm.” With Paris as her ultimate focus, she is going forward with petitioning to compete in the US Olympics trials in Minneapolis. The vice president of the Women’s Program will preside over the petition no later than the 2024 Xfinity Championships.

The Xfinity games are a qualification round for the trials. The trial committee chooses around 12 contestants to compete. They will finally form the team for Paris. The top two all-around athletes from the combined ranks from both days of Xfinity will automatically qualify. In addition, any athletes with accepted petitions may also compete. 

If her petition is approved, she will be joining Simone Biles, who has been having a knockout season. She returned to competition last year at the Worlds after a hiatus and won gold. Since then, Biles’ trajectory has been going upward. She is well on her way to even bag a ninth US Championship title if the rest of the Xfinity games go well. At the Core Hydration Classics, Biles scored an impressive 59.50, and she beat herself in the Xfinity with 60.450.

Nearly a one-point AA jump. However, surrounded by the horrific reality of injury as her peers face setbacks, Simone Biles is being careful. The key is confidence. Her coach, Cecile Landi, said, “She needs to feel confident, and this time she feels confident.” Biles has been healthy so far, but some of her contemporaries, like Trinity Thomas, Gabby Douglas, and Konnor McClain, have not been so lucky. 

Speculation on all other gymnasts’ performances at Xfinity Games round 2 ahead of Olympic trials

News broke of Trinity Thomas’ withdrawal from the Xfinity Championship after she experienced an unprecedented stumble. The three-time NCAA gymnast, who was scheduled to compete in the all-around events alongside Biles and Jones, stumbled at the end of her routine. She could not execute a perfect double layout with a landing and landed on her knees instead, after stumbling. Observers saw her leaving the mat limp, indicating the possibility of her re-injuring her ankle. Previously, she had to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Games due to her ankle. She will likely petition in that case and give the US trials another go, as she has been vocal about wanting to get to Paris. 

Though Trinity Thomas and Shilese Jones have faced minor injuries that have not crushed their Olympic dreams, For some gymnasts, the journey has ended. Konnor McClain’s story is especially heartbreaking. The young star, who had promised Steve Harvey when she was about 11–12 years old that she would get to the 2024 Olympics, took a hit. She suffered an Achilles tendon injury during the CHC earlier this month. The extent of the pain was bad enough that she had to be carried off the mat and make a wheelchair exit from the stadium. USA Gymnastics later confirmed she had torn her tendon. It will be a long recovery process for her, and she will miss the trials. 

Gabby Douglas bowed out of the competition as well. She qualified for the US Gymnastics Championships through her amazing performance at the American Classics. She withdrew after struggling on the uneven bars at the CHC. The gymnast, who returned to the competitive space after 8 years, suffered a devastating ankle injury, which cost her a spot on Team USA. An early decision can be made on who will make it to the team based on the current rankings.

Leanne Wong and Kayla DiCello from Florida emerge as strong contenders, having previously acted as alternates for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Championships, respectively. Jordan Chiles, Laurie Hernandez, and MyKayla Skinner are some of the formidable contenders in the upcoming rounds and potential qualifiers for the trials. The Xfinity Games might also see a remarkable comeback from Sunisa Lee, adding to the intrigue of the competition. However, the US Olympic Gymnastics Trials will reveal the certainty of these predictions and where the true contenders will emerge.