Next week, Minneapolis will transform into “USA Gymnastics City,” hosting the U.S. Women's and Men's Olympic Gymnastics Trials; national championships in rhythmic, trampoline, tumbling and acrobatic gymnastics; the USA Gymnastics National Championships and Trade Show; and USA Gymnastics.
Here's what you need to know about the gymnastics competition taking place June 21-30.
There are so many different types of gymnastics. What kinds of events are there?
Athletes will compete in three Olympic sports in Minneapolis: artistic gymnastics (think Simone Biles and Mary Lou Retton), where gymnasts perform choreographed routines set to music with hoops, balls, clubs and ribbons, and trampolining, an Olympic sport since 2000, where athletes flip and twist 30 feet in the air.
There's also acrobatic gymnastics — think Cirque du Soleil — with pairs and groups performing choreographed moves to music, dancing, synchronized tumbling and partnering skills like pyramids and holds.
In tumbling, gymnasts perform acrobatic tricks on an elevated runway, while the double mini competition combines trampoline and tumbling, with gymnasts running up to a small trampoline, performing tricks in the air and descending on the mat.
What's your schedule?
June 21-26: Elite and Development Level Trampoline & Tumbling, Rhythmic Gymnastics & Acrobatics, Convention Center
June 26-30: USA Gymnastics for All GymFest, Convention Center. Known as team gymnastics, the event also includes a division for gymnasts with disabilities.
June 27-29: U.S. Olympic Trials, Men's Gymnastics, Target Center
June 28-30: U.S. Olympic Trials, women's gymnastics, Target Center
June 28-30: USA Gymnastics National Conference and Trade Show, Convention Center. Attendees can watch educational presentations and demonstrations and visit vendor booths.
Will we see Simone Biles and Suni Lee?
That's right! Biles, 27, is the overwhelming favorite to make her third Olympic team since returning to competition last August. It's been two years since Biles withdrew from several events at the Tokyo Olympics due to a condition called “Twisties,” which causes the skater to suddenly lose the ability to spin. The four-time Olympic gold medalist and 23-time world champion won the U.S. Championships two weeks ago by a large margin.
The 21-year-old St. Paul native is an Olympic all-around champion who hasn't competed internationally since the Tokyo Games. After two standout seasons at Auburn University, she was diagnosed with kidney disease that limited her training. She hadn't competed in the all-around event for more than a year before the U.S. Championships, but she placed fourth, including second on the balance beam.
Who else is going to be here?
Sixteen women and 20 men participated in the Olympic qualifiers.
Lisa Jones, an all-around medalist at the past two world championships, was the top U.S. woman behind Biles this season but missed U.S. championships with a shoulder injury. Jones is scheduled to compete in the trials. In Jones' absence, Skye Blakely placed second at U.S. championships, followed by Kayla DiCello. Tokyo Olympians Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles are also scheduled to compete in the trials.
Leading the men's group will be Tokyo Olympian Brody Malone, who won his third U.S. individual all-around title last month despite undergoing three surgeries for a knee injury in March 2023. Former Gophers Shane Wiskas and Yul Moldauer, both from Spring Park, are back at the trials after being part of the team in Tokyo. Other contenders include Frederick Richard, a rising junior from the University of Michigan who placed second at the U.S. nationals and third in the individual all-around at the world championships in October, and two Stanford University stars, Koi Young and Asher Hong.
So will the Olympic team be announced in Minneapolis?
That's right. The five men who will represent the United States at the gymnastics competition in Paris will be announced at the end of the session on June 29, and the five women will be announced after competition on June 30. Alternates will also be selected from each team.
The men and women who will represent the United States in trampoline will be announced June 26th.
The United States has just one spot reserved for the rhythmic gymnastics competition in Paris, but it has already been claimed by 23-year-old Evita Griskenas from Orland Park, Illinois.
How are Olympic teams selected?
The Olympic Gymnastics Trials consist of two days of competition for both men and women, with athletes rotating once on the apparatus each day (vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise for women). For men, the events include floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.
The woman with the highest score after two days of competition will automatically be selected for the Olympic team. The remaining four will be selected by a committee that will consider performance in international competitions and four other US competitions, including the US Championships, over the past year. The committee will also consider medal potential in the team, all-around and individual events.
In the men's events, the overall winner of the trials will automatically qualify for the Olympics if he finishes in the top three in three of the six events. The remaining four will be selected by a committee that evaluates the best team and individual medal potential, taking into account performances at last month's U.S. Championships and at the trials.
Are tickets still available?
Yes. All-session tickets for all four days of the Olympic Qualifiers remain listed on the second tier at Target Center, with prices starting at $450. Single-session tickets will be available on the secondary market.
Tickets for all sessions of the competition at the Convention Center are $120, with single-day passes ranging from $37 to $57.
Tickets for all GymFest sessions are $60, with single-day passes available for purchase for $15-20.
On-site registration fees for the USA Gymnastics Trade Show are $300 for members and $400 for non-members.
How can I watch it on TV?
June 27 (Men's Day 1): USA Network, Peacock, 5-8 p.m.
June 28 (Women's Day 1): Peacock, 6:30-7:00 p.m., NBC, Peacock, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
June 29 (Men's Day 2): NBC, Peacock 2-5 p.m.
June 30 (Women's Day 2): NBC, Peacock 7:30pm-10pm
Fix:
An earlier version of this article misstated Shane Wiskus' hometown.
