Simone Biles kicked off her campaign for the 2024 Paris Olympics in dominant fashion, winning the all-around title at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic. This event marked Biles' first competition of the year, and she showcased her readiness to compete at the highest level. Her performance was against a highly decorated field, featuring competitors with a combined 75 world and Olympic medals, including past Olympic all-around champions Gabby Douglas (2012), Biles herself (2016), and Suni Lee (2020).
Biles secured the all-around title with a score of 59.500, outperforming world all-around bronze medalist Shilese Jones, who scored 57.650, and Tokyo Olympic team silver medalist Jordan Chiles, who scored 55.450. Biles’ performance included an impressive 15.600 on her signature Yurchenko double pike vault, which was a significant highlight of the competition.
Shilese Jones led initially with a strong showing on vault (14.350) and uneven bars (15.250). However, Biles surged ahead in the third rotation with her outstanding vault performance. Notably, this was the first time since 2021 that Biles performed the Yurchenko double pike without her coach Laurent Landi by the apparatus, a precaution for her peace of mind that usually incurs a half-point deduction.
Jones expressed her satisfaction with her performance, stating that it boosted her confidence ahead of the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, where she and Biles will compete from May 30 to June 2. Biles will be aiming for her ninth national title at this event, further solidifying her status as a dominant force in the sport.
Simone Biles demonstrated her readiness and confidence at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic, competing without her coach Laurent Landi by the vault for the first time since 2021. Her coach, Cecile Landi, mentioned that Biles had been practicing without Laurent for some time and was ready even last year, though Laurent needed more time to adjust. Biles also reintroduced the Biles II on floor—a triple twisting double back—competing this skill for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics qualifications.
Suni Lee, the Tokyo 2020 all-around champion, competed in three events. She made significant progress, particularly on floor (13.000) and beam (14.500), debuting a new mount and finishing second in the beam event. Although Lee didn't complete her full difficulty on vault, her performance showed promise.
Gabby Douglas aimed to qualify for all four events at the U.S. Championships but struggled, particularly on uneven bars where she experienced two falls. She withdrew from the competition before the second rotation. Douglas had previously qualified for three events at the American Classic and was seeking to compete in the all-around.
Konnor McClain, the 2022 U.S. national all-around champion, returned to elite competition after contributing to Louisiana State University's NCAA team title. Unfortunately, McClain sustained an Achilles injury during warm-ups for the second rotation after scoring 14.200 on beam in the first rotation. The extent of her injury was initially unclear.
Overall, the Core Hydration Classic highlighted the depth and talent within the U.S. women’s gymnastics program, setting the stage for the upcoming Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, where Biles will compete for her ninth national title.
Up Next
The Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships will take place May 30 to June 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. Following the competition, the U.S. national team who will advance to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (June 27 - 30) will be named.
In This Story
Top Highlights
0 Comments