As the gymnastics world turns its attention to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which begin this weekend at Target Center, here are some things fans can expect.
The U.S. Women's National Team is poised to extend its streak as the most successful team in international gymnastics. The U.S. Women's Team has won seven consecutive international championships, and given the breadth and depth of talent competing for spots at Target Center, there are high hopes that the team representing the U.S. will make it eighth straight at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The women's competition begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock) and concludes Sunday night at 7 p.m., both nights will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock. The athlete with the highest combined score after two days of competition will automatically qualify for Paris. The other four members of the team, as well as any reserves, will be chosen by a selection committee and announced Sunday night, approximately 30 minutes after the end of competition.
Featured gymnasts
Suni Lee: One of four gymnasts returning from the 2021 Tokyo team, Li is also a local favorite. The Hmong-American grew up in St. Paul and graduated from South St. Paul High School. Three years ago, at age 18, she won an Olympic gold medal in the all-around. She's spent the better part of the past two years treating and recovering from a kidney condition that derailed her career in a short time. After a year of ups and downs, she placed fourth in the all-around and second in the team at the U.S. Championships about a month ago.
Setbacks have marred Li's gymnastics career, from family tragedies to her own health issues, but the community expectations that come with her past success, including competing in her own backyard, could be an added stress.
“A hometown event always brings unexpected challenges,” longtime coach Jess Grubba said, “more family, more people around, more tickets, a little more stress. But we're in it for it, and the kids know it.”
Graba said he and Lee have been working on making some changes to her routine, including a new floor routine with different music that she finally has time for.
“We've been trying to improve her bars routine over the past few weeks,” Grubba said, “and trying out some new floor routines, which is fun for her.”
Graba, who owns and operates Midwest Gymnastics with his wife Allison Lim in Little Canada, said he believes Lee is confident going into this weekend's competition, despite all the life experiences she's had since winning her Olympic gold medal.
“I don't have much less faith in her,” he said. “When things get tough, she always comes out stronger.”
Simone Biles: Who else? Considered by many to be the greatest gymnast of all time, the 27-year-old Texan seems to have regained her explosive excellence. In competitive situations, the unexpected can happen. Who would have expected Biles to withdraw from the team competition at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics? But Biles is back in top form and aiming for her third Olympic Games. She is the most decorated gymnast of all time, with seven Olympic medals, including four gold medals, 30 World Championship medals, including 23 gold medals, and 32 U.S. Championship medals, including nine individual all-around titles, including this year's.
Look out for Biles 2, a Yurchenko double pike vault that now bears her name: a move rarely seen in gymnastics, featuring a round-off back handspring onto the vaulting platform followed by two backflips, both performed in a pike position.
Series Jones: The 21-year-old Seattle native is considered a potential next superstar after finishing second to Simone Biles in the all-around at the U.S. Classic in Hartford in May and winning medals in the all-around and uneven bars at the last two world championships. Jones sat out the recent U.S. Championships to allow more time for her injured shoulder to heal, a decision her coach, Sarah Korngold, said has so far seemed like the right one.
“She hasn't had as many reps as we would have liked, but she seems to be in good shape,” Korngold said Wednesday.
Skye Blakely: Blakely, 19, is one of the last two world team champions and was fresh off impressive performances at the U.S. Championships, where she placed second in the all-around and vault and third on the uneven bars and balance beam. But on Wednesday afternoon, she had to be removed from the floor in a wheelchair after apparently injuring her leg at the end of a tumbling pass during floor exercise practice. Three years ago, Blakely withdrew from the Olympic Trials after injuring her elbow while warming up for vault.
Jordan Chiles: Another member of the 2021 Olympic team, the 23-year-old Chiles is a talented gymnast who has won numerous medals on a variety of apparatus at national and international competitions.
Jade Carey: The 24-year-old Carey, who won gold in the floor exercise at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, is known as a top-tier vaulter, garnering a reputation for creative and explosive routines.
