How to watch Simone Biles at the US gymnastics Olympic trials and more about Team USA star
- Simone Biles will compete at her second U.S. gymnastics Olympic Trials June 25 and 27
- If she qualifies at this weekend's trials, she will compete in her second Olympics
- She is the most-decorated female gymnast of all time and has four elements named for her
- Trials will take place at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis
For nearly a decade, one name has been synonymous with greatness in gymnastics: Simone Biles. Widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time, the five-time Olympic medalist will have an opportunity to clinch a spot on the U.S. Gymnastics team for Tokyo during the Olympic trials, which begin Thursday for the men and Friday for the women.
At the recent U.S. championships, Biles won her seventh national all-around title by a margin of nearly five points and earned the top scores on vault, beam and floor. Should the 24-year-old defend her Olympic title in Tokyo, she will be the first woman in more than 50 years to repeat as all-around champion.
When are the gymnastics trials?
The U.S. Gymnastics Olympics trials will be held June 24-27 where each athlete will compete over one of four sports on both teams. Biles and the rest of the women will compete June 25 and 27. The selection committee will also select up to five alternates for both men and women for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
They will compete in each discipline twice, and results will be determined by the cumulative scores across both days of competition.
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The competition will be at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
What is Simone Biles' schedule of events?
June 25: Women’s Day 1, 7:30 p.m.
June 27: Women’s Day 2, 8 p.m.
Both days of the women’s competition will be aired live on NBC.
How did Biles perform at nationals?
Biles was hard to ignore during this year's U.S. Gymnastics Championships. She entered the favorite to win each of her disciplines and left with the all-around title and she placed first in the vault, balance beam and floor exercise. She placed third in the uneven bars.
Here is more about her amazing performance at nationals:
- Another day, another record as Simone Biles wins seventh US gymnastics title
- Simone Biles is a lock for U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. Who will join her?
- Simone Biles is the only sure thing for US gymnastics team going to Tokyo Olympics
What's at stake at Tokyo Olympics?
When Biles represented the United States in Rio de Janeiro, her mission was winning gold. She left with four such medals. One for the team and three individual in all-around, floor and vault. She earned bronze in the balance beam.
This year she has a chance to improve on her only third place finish from four years ago while defending each of her titles.
More to read:
Simone Biles, Raisman, Douglas headline team for Rio
Simone Biles accomplishes her mission with vault gold at Rio Games
How many Olympics has Biles competed in?
If she were to qualify this week, Tokyo would be Biles' second Olympics. Her first appearance was in 2016 in Rio, where she won her first five Olympic medals; four gold, one bronze.
What other records does Biles have?
Biles is more than a five-time Olympic medalist. She is the most-decorated female gymnast of all time, holding the highest total World Championship medals (25) and all-around titles (5). She has won five World gold medals on the floor exercise, three on the balance beam and two on vault.
Biles is also a trailblazer in the skills that she competes. She currently has four elements named after her: two on floor exercise and one apiece on vault and beam. Except for the Biles I on floor, no other woman has competed a skill that bears Biles' name. She also became the first woman to land a Yurchenko double pike when she competed the vault at the 2021 U.S. Classic in May. If she competes in the vault in Tokyo, she may add a fifth "Biles" skill to the Code of Points.
Contributing: Emily Adams.
