Simone Biles won her ninth national all-around title on Sunday night at the U.S. gymnastics championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Biles not only clinched the gold medal on all four apparatuses but also delivered a near-perfect performance throughout the competition. This victory officially secured her a spot at the U.S. Olympic Trials, setting the stage for her anticipated third Olympic run in Paris this summer.
With this latest win, Biles has become the first gymnast, regardless of gender, to achieve nine national all-around titles, surpassing the record she previously set last year when she broke a tie with Alfred Jochim. Notably, that victory also marked her as the oldest woman ever to win this title. Despite a fall on the vault during her signature Yurchenko double pike, which resulted in a one-point deduction, Biles finished with an impressive all-around total score of 119.750. This mishap on the vault was her first fall of the season.
Biles’s dominance was apparent as she rolled through the competition at the U.S. Classic last month, where she claimed the all-around title. Finishing behind her in Texas, Skye Blakely secured second place with a score of 113.850, narrowly edging out Kayla DiCello, who took home the bronze with a score of 110.800. Notably absent was Shilese Jones, sidelined by a shoulder injury, though she, along with Kaliya Lincoln, received petitions to participate in the Olympic Trials.
As Biles prepares for the Olympics, she continues to regain her form after leading Team USA to a team title at the World Gymnastics Championships last fall and being named The Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year in 2023. Despite needing to pass through the qualifiers this summer, Biles is poised to be one of the most-watched athletes at the upcoming Olympics in France. This event will mark her return to the Olympic Games since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she withdrew from several competitions due to the “twisties,” a disorienting condition that impacts an athlete’s ability to perform twists.
The Olympic trials are set to commence on June 27 in Minneapolis, approximately a month before the opening ceremony in Paris. As Biles steps back into the global spotlight, she is not just returning to competition; she is revisiting her position as a seasoned and formidable contender on the world stage.