You might notice a little something different about our headline today.
If you haven’t been keeping up so far, that’s because Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello have both torn an Achilles and are out of the competition and therefore Olympic selection. Leanne Wong is left the only Gator standing, and she didn’t have her best day of competition after watching her friends go down left and right. If you want to catch up on yesterday’s competition, check out our liveblog, but if you only have you a few minutes, here’s the TLDR:
- 12 athletes left standing, 5 women on the team, 2 replacement athletes. The odds are tough.
- Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello, and Shilese Jones are all out with injury. The former two we’ve already discussed, but Jones had a knee injury during vault warmup on Friday. She went on to compete bars but withdrew from the remainder of the meet. After being evaluated yesterday more thoroughly, she will not be continuing in the selection process.
- Simone Biles is still dominant as ever, despite Friday’s AA total being her lowest so far this summer. Barring disaster, one of those 5 spots will be hers automatically by finishing first in the two-day all-around.
- Sunisa Lee has added her full routine back on bars and casually competed a Chusovitina (full-twisting double layout) on floor. If she keeps competing the way she did Friday night, one of those 5 spots is hers.
- Tokyo Olympians Jordan Chiles (UCLA) and Jade Carey (Oregon St) are also looking like likely choices, demonstrating consistency on their key events and showing crucial upgrades to both their difficulty and stamina since Championships.
- The fifth slot then comes down to who adds the most to the team score in a three-up, three-count situation for team finals. Bars and beam feel like the crucial events, with beam edging out bars by just a little bit, in my opinion.
- Wong debuted a new vault – the Cheng, which is the hardest non-Biles vault being performed at these Trials – but may or may not have put enough support on the table with both hands. She originally incurred a two-point deduction for lack of support, implemented to discourage dangerous technique on difficult vaults, but the UF coaching team submitted an inquiry and it was accepted, erasing the deduction. She led the competition after the first two events, but beam was a problem and she went out of bounds on floor. She’s No. 8 after Day 1.
- Wong has the most international experience of any of the remaining athletes, but there are a few other younger athletes to look out for – Tiana Sumanasekera (UCLA), Joscelyn Roberson (Ark), and Hezly Rivera could all find their way onto this team, should they have great nights on bars and beam, and especially if Wong does not.
Now that you’re all caught up, let’s talk about what to look out for tonight, specifically for Wong and her chances to make the team.
Rotation 1, Bars: She needs to have the cleanest, best-connected bar routine of the year. She needs to prove that she is a more team-final-usable option than Carey if Biles or Chiles needs a break, and a better one than Rivera. Look for Wong to connect multiple elements together, not just two at a time, as well as flawless leg form and handstands, if she’s going to make that happen.
Rotation 2, Beam: Again, needs to be the cleanest, crispest beam routine with solid difficulty that she’s put together all summer. MUST show that she can stay on the beam and not have any major bobbles. If that means not doing full difficulty, I think it’s worth watering down a tenth or two. She needs to show control on her dismount too, in particular. It has to be a TF-worthy routine. She and Rivera are in the same rotation, so it will be easy to compare apples to apples pretty quickly. If Rivera outshines Wong on both bars and beam… it may be over for our CEO.
Rotation 3, Floor: I think she just needs to do what she did Night 1, except stay in bounds. I don’t think she needs the Dos Santos upgrade she’s been training for her third pass – it just needs to be clean. Floor isn’t where this team will need her, really.
Rotation 4, Vault: There are two options here – the safe route and the power move. The safe route would be to do her DTY first – demonstrate that it’s still a clean, safe option, guaranteed for a good score in qualifications. The power move would be to do the Cheng first again, and make sure it’s clear her block is acceptable under international standards, no question, no need for inquiry. If she’s not confident she can do that, though, she should take the safe route.
It all starts at 8pm ET on Peacock and NBC, but if you can’t tune in, we’ll have all the action for you play by play right here!
8:04pm: Still waiting on broadcast start – I believe we may be delayed until 8:10, I’ve seen a few reports saying so.
8:05pm: Okay, here we go! Broadcast is finally starting.
Sumanasekera, VT: DTY, a little chest down but basically stuck. Wow. That’s the way to get your night going!
Rivera, UB: Weiler half to open, pirouette on low bar is good too. Tkachev is clean, not connected. Pak has legs just glued together, not connected, into Maloney, also clean. Piked Tkachev is clean. Full twisting double tuck dismount, little adjustment. She’s coming out swinging!
Roberson, VT: Cheng, better amplitude than Day 1 I think, a little chest down on landing, two steps back into the salute. Lots of bent knees.
Simone Rose, UB: I’m shocked we’re seeing her, but very excited! Good low bar handstand work, a little over on her pirouette. Maloney to uprise to Ray, gorgeous. Great handstand, blind change is good too. Ezhova, to van Leeuwen, fingertip catch. DLO is stuck! Good for her!
Eveylynn Lowe, VT: Another competitor I didn’t expect we’d see! Y1.5, suuuper clean, little hop forward. That’ll play WELL in college, wherever she commits.
Wong, UB: A little shy on opening handstand, blind change is better. Jaeger excellent. Pirouette is perfectly on top. Bhardwaj is lovely. Maloney to pak is clean. van Leeuwen is fabulous. DLO, little hop back. Peszek saying she missed her hand on her Bhardwaj? I didn’t see it, so hopefully it’s a small deduction.
Chiles, VT: DTY, floats it, very clean. Just a little slide back. Crosses her feet a little bit at the end but stands it up very straight, well done.
Lopez for her second vault, again straight as a board, really well done. Just a bounce back on the landing. Great dynamics.
13.9 for Wong on bars – versus Rivera’s 14.3… not a great start. Beam will be a little more important though, she’ll need to stay in her bubble and not let anything get to her.
Molomo, VT: Y1.5, very clean, little hop forward. That’ll play well in NCAA soon too.
Lincoln, UB: First handstand, pirouette was great but had to recast when she had to save it from going over the wrong way. Tkachev to pak is gorgeous, a little close to the bar. van Leeuwen is great. Full twisting double back – stuck! A great hit for her – she could also be in the mix, but I think she’s more likely an alternate than on the team.
Carey, VT: Cheng, much cleaner than Roberson, little bounce on the landing.
Lee, UB: Great opening handstand. Nabieva to Bhardwaj, great connection. van Leeuwen is clean. Blind change is fine, Jaeger to pak to Maloney to gienger all connected!!!! That’s so hard, holy cow. Full pirouette, not connected, into full twisting double back stuck! That’s a two-time Olympian right there, I’m calling it now.
Biles, VT: Yurchenko double pike, VERY bouncy, several big steps back. She stayed on her feet but she’s upset with herself. Didn’t open quite soon enough. She’s also only doing the one vault tonight – no need for her to do the Cheng, she has nothing to prove, but leaves the door open for someone else to win vault.
8:30pm: Caylor, VT: DTY, chest a little low, but good dynamics, little slide back.
STANDINGS AFTER FIVE:
- Biles, 74.4
- Lee and Chiles, 70.9
- Carey, 70.5
- Roberson, 69.975
- Rivera, 69.125
- Sumanasekera, 69.05
- Wong, 68.65
8:39pm: Rotation 2!
Chiles, UB: Great low bar handstand. van Leeuwen is great. Next handstand a little shy, blind change clean. Piked Jaeger is great. Piked Tkachev to pak is good, there was some minor adjustment prior to that. Maloney to gienger is great, well connected. Full twisting double back, little hop back. Another solid performance, two more like that and she’s an Olympian again.
Wong, BB: This is critical. Light your candles. Springboard mount, switch leap to switch half, those are clean. Switch ring, check. Bhs loso, steady. Double wolf, keeps it even. Front aerial to split to straddle, no adjustments visible. Side somi, dead on. Really in her zone. Roundoff 2.5, a little deep in the landing, little shift to the side. That was WAY better than Friday – will it be enough??
8:45pm: I really didn’t need to see an injury montage again.
Carey, UB: Good opening handstand work. Bhardwaj is floaty. Maloney to gienger, leg form is alright. Ezhova, a little messy. Short on that handstand, and the last one. Saved her pirouette somehow, wow. Full twisting double back dismount is stuck! What a professional, good for her.
Biles, UB: Weiler and low bar work are clean. Maloney is rushed, leg sep. Piked Tkachev to pak, fights back. van Leeuwen is cleaner. Full pirouette is clean. Double twisting double back is so high, just a little adjustment on the landing it looked like.
Lee, BB: Loso mount and she falls! Oh no! Front aerial to split to bhs, super quick – she’s doing angry beam now. Triple wolf, SO steady, wow. Switch, breaks connection, switch half to ring jump. Bhs loso loso, touches the beam but stays on somehow, girl. Deep breaths. Switch ring, another check. Gainer full off the end, she’s SO mad.
Looking at the replays, her shoulders weren’t over her hips square enough on her mount, but on her series she just got ahead of herself. I think she’s still safe, but it makes beam all the more important for that fifth member.
9:00pm: Rivera, BB: Double wolf is super clean, she looks calm. Side aerial, so crisp. Bhs loso, snaps her arms down even though she had a little lean. Switch to switch half, shy of 180, to bhs swingdown. Front aerial to split to straddle, little lean again, keeps it small. Switch ring, position is a little questionable? Bhs bhs double pike a little low but basically stuck. We’ll see where that ends up!
14.275 for Rivera, vs. just a 13.65 for Wong… that feels like our answer right there.
Roberson, UB: Good opening handstand. Maloney to uprise, to Ezhova, little hesitation but made it work. Low bar handstand is way past handstand. Transition back to high has some leg sep, gienger is a little cleaner. FTDLO dismount, little hop in place. Not her event, but made it through.
Sumanasekera, UB: Low bar work is clean. Maloney to pak has some leg sep. Jaeger is nice and high. Half pirouette in the middle is weird construction for this code. Little bounce on her dismount. I’m shocked at the leg form – her lines on every other event are so nice. Just a 12.85, oof. That could be the reason Rivera is chosen over her.
STANDINGS AFTER SIX:
- Biles, 88.6
- Chiles, 85.1
- Lee, 83.725
- Carey, 83.575
- Rivera, 83.4
- Roberson, 83.0
- Wong, 82.3
- Sumanasekera, 81.875
9:09pm: We’re getting a little interview with Biles now about Tokyo and the twisties. We are so lucky to even have her for another quad.
Wong, FX: Double wolf to start, clean. Double double, MUCH cleaner than Friday. DLO, she kept it in bounds! It was close. Dance series is very crisp, ring position is lovely. Whip half to front full, good idea, still stumbled a little on the landing. Double pike STUCK COLD, little fist pump from Owen Field in the corner. We love to see that.
Carey, BB: Opening combination was clean. Bhs loso, steady. Switch side, good, she’s never falling on that again after Championships. Switch to switch half to straddle, all good 180 positions, she’s gotten so much better at those. Side aerial, solid. Double pike, single step on that dismount. She’s staying so chill, that’s serving her really well right now.
Lincoln, FX: FTDLO, one of the cleanest I’ve ever seen, WOW. So high, so straight. Small hop on the landing. DLO, also rod-straight, little shift back. Really hitting her moments in the music here, gorgeous splits in her dance series. Triple wolf, very steady, good landing position. Front full through to double back, both feet OOB, oof. It was golden up to that point.
Biles, BB: Switch leap mount to switch half to back pike, the ATTACK, dang. Triple wolf turn, very steady. Front aerial to split to straddle, a little shy of 180 maybe? She’s a little tight. Bhs loso loso, DEAD on, the thuds of the beam underneath her are so satisfying. Side aerial, NO she’s off! Wow, that hasn’t happened in a while. Remounts, full in dismount, single step. Soooo good up until that point.
Lee, FX: FTDLO STUCK COLD! Yes ma’am! Switch ring is gorgeous, through to split full, lovely and precise. 1.5 to front full, a little slidy on the landing but good form. Turn sequence is good. Triple wolf, big smile after, she knows this is a good one. This music fits her SO well. Double back to finish, just a little hop back. Big grin after she finishes, kisses to her hometown crowd – she’s stoked for that one.
I just have to do a quick story moment with y’all – Lee’s music is “Eyes of the Untold Her” by Lindsey Stirling, it’s her new single, and she actually reached out to Lee to give her blessing for her to use it. The concept behind the music video is young Stirling starting out in her career seeing all of her iconic moments over the course of her career so far – how incredible that Lee is using that song as she fights to make the dreams of little Suni come true again, especially after such adversity.
9:29pm: Sumanasekera, BB: Candle mount, lovely. Bhs bhs2ft layout2ft, so solid. Switch leap to bhs swingdown, good connection. Switch to switch half, definitely tight and short of 180 on that second split. Side aerial, clean. Sissone to wolf jump, both good. Full turn is fine. Double pike dismount, little foot slide. Good for her!
Rivera, FX: FTDLO, big slide back, almost OOB. DLO, another smaller slide. Dance series is nice and crisp. Her wolf turn is too, just a double I think? Front through to double tuck, another slide back. That split full is short of 180. 2.5 twist, big pop on the landing and bounds forward, I think kept it in?
Roberson, BB: Standing full to start, EXCELLENT, very solid, not too crunched. Switch to switch half, a little tight, to back tuck, clean. Side aerial loso loso, corrected midair and stayed steady, wow. Full turn is clean. Onodi to straddle to pike jump, I think that’s new, cool combination and very quick. Bhs bhs double pike, single step back. She’s really doing everything she can to try and make her case, but bars worries me.
Chiles, BB: Front tuck mount, foot tried to slide out from under her but she caught it, not as big a bobble as Day 1. Bhs loso, rushed it and couldn’t settle in, had to take the fall. Hops back up, front aerial straddle bhs, a little hesitation between the first two, she’s okay. Side somi, better. Switch to split to wolf, another hesitation between the first two but I think she’ll get the connection. Side aerial is clean. Switch side, great height. Double pike, single step. I think she’s still good, but hard to see anyone but one of the two tied for first on beam in that last slot after all these falls… Roberson and Rivera are tied for that spot right now.
STANDINGS AFTER SEVEN
- Biles, 102.5
- Lee, 97.575
- Chiles, 97.325
- Carey, 97.2
- Roberson, 97.05
- Rivera, 96.95
- Wong, 95.925
- Sumanasekera, 95.825
9:49pm: Rotation 4, let’s go!
Biles, FX: Triple double, just a small step, it’s so cool how well she’s dialed that in. Front full through to double double, single step OOB. Double wolf, almost put a toe OOB, oof. DLO half out, aka Biles I, keeps it in bounds today, excellent. DLO to finish, basically stuck! The crowd gets on their feet – a third Olympics for the GOAT! Chiles comes to give her a double high-five screaming, “That’s what I’m talking about!” – honestly, same. She’s not thrilled with it, and clearly winded, but I think she’s also just taking it in. Crowd goes wild for her score, too.
Lee, VT: DTY, it’s a good one! Some crossed feet, a little stutter step back, but she’s so happy – she knows she’s done it.
Sumanasekera, FX: FTDLO, a little low but doesn’t crunch her chest at all. DLO, better. Gorgeously precise on her dance elements. Double wolf, excellent. Whip half to front full, very clean. Double pike to finish, stuck cold. She’s fighting for that spot too!
10:00pm: Rivera, VT: DTY, also very clean, little slide back.
Roberson, FX: Moors to open, STUCK COLD – she must’ve heard me when I said she needed to break 14. FTDLO, flares it, just a little slide. Dance sequence looks good, great split positions. DLO, a little bounce back there, keeps it in bounds. Double wolf turn, decently controlled. Punch front layout stepout through to double tuck – a standing ovation for her! And the tears are flowing – she put it all out there.
Chiles, FX: FTDLO to open, just a little shift back. She is finding every camera in this arena and really performing the heck out of this routine. Front full through to full in, looked OOB but the flag didn’t raise?? Wolf turn 3.5, well controlled for sure. Dance series is also really crisp. DLO, little hop in place. That’ll be an excellent score – is it another Olympic team for Biles and Chiles together??
10:15pm: Wong, VT: Let’s see which route she takes. Cheng, a little more crunched than Day 1 – we’ll need to see the slow-mo to see if she got both hands support but Peszek seems to think she did. Score indicates she did – 14.5! She pulled that power move!
Carey, FX: How fitting that the reigning Olympic gold medalist gets to close things out?? Moors to open, just a little hop. DLO full out, little step OOB, well controlled. Really precise in her dance series now, and those splits have gotten so much better than they used to be. Double double third pass, fabulous. Punch front through to double tuck, close to stuck. Chiles running and screaming to congratulate her – that looks like a two-time Olympian to me.
FINAL:
- Biles, 117.225
- Lee, 111.675
- Chiles, 111.425
- Carey, 111.35
- Rivera, 111.15
- Roberson, 110.975
- Wong, 110.425
- Sumanasekera, 109.55
The committee has gone into the back to deliberate, but Simone Biles has made a third Olympics – the oldest US woman in the modern era of women’s gymnastics to qualify.
10:30pm: We are still waiting – seeing all the emotional family fluff pieces now.
Not sure if I agree that this is the end of Wong’s elite career – but if it is, what a way to go out, for sure!
10:45pm: A cheeky little Paris promo cheering on Biles featuring John Legend! That’s cool.
10:46pm: We have a countdown! 5 minutes and counting!
10:49pm: Okay, here we go!
Announcing the team will be Carly Patterson, 2004 Olympic AA champ, and Shannon Miller, the previous most-decorated US women’s gymnast prior to Biles.
On the team: Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera, Sunisa Lee, and Simone Biles. Congratulations to them – incredible work this weekend and all year, they’re going to represent Team USA so well in Paris.
Traveling alternates: Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong! For the second consecutive Olympics, Wong is a traveling alternate, this time with so much more experience and time under her belt.
You never hope that an alternate will have to step in, but if she’s called upon, you know Wong will represent Team USA and Florida impeccably. She’s a great alternate choice, with no weak events and a calm presence even in the face of chaos.
Thanks to all of you for joining me throughout this elite season covering the Gators – we’ll see y’all in just a few short months for a 2025 season preview!
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