Simone Biles clinched her record-extending ninth U.S. all-around title, securing every individual event title at nationals for the second time in her career. Her victory at the Xfinity U.S. Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, saw her dominate the competition by a remarkable 5.9 points over Skye Blakely. This margin was more than what separated second place from 10th place, showcasing her incredible prowess and consistency.
Biles' performance marked a significant step towards her third Olympics in Paris. Despite a minor slip on a vault on Sunday, where she over-rotated a double back-flipping vault and fell backward, Biles smiled and quickly recovered. "I’m kind of a veteran; it’s not my first time out there," she said. "I’m a little bit older, so I know exactly how to kind of reboot and recollect myself to move onto the next event even if I feel like something wasn’t how I wanted it to go."
One of the most thrilling aspects of the championships was Biles' overwhelming lead, which is the third-largest margin of victory since the perfect 10 scoring system was replaced in 2006. In 2018, Biles set the record with a 6.55-point victory margin and became the first woman since Dominique Dawes in 1994 to sweep all five golds at nationals.
Skye Blakely's Olympic prospects significantly improved at nationals. After finishing fourth in the all-around last year, she upgraded her performance to second this week, partly due to her enhanced vault routine. Blakely debuted a Cheng vault, which added six-tenths of difficulty both nights. "I know what I'm capable of now," said Blakely, who achieved her goal of making the podium and scoring at least 56 points each day (57.05, 56.8).
Suni Lee, the Tokyo Olympic all-around champion, also strengthened her Paris hopes. Improving her balance beam and uneven bars scores from night one to night two, Lee finished second and fourth in those events overall. Despite a fall during her opening vault, Lee received a confidence boost from Biles. "She knew that I needed help in the moment," Lee said. Biles, understanding the pressure Lee felt, offered words of encouragement, helping Lee to mentally recover and perform strongly on bars, tying for the highest score of the night on the apparatus.
The U.S. Championships served as the final major competition before the Olympic Trials, set for June 27-30 in Minneapolis. The trials all-around winner automatically makes the team for the Paris Games, while a three-person selection committee will choose the other four team members, considering results dating back to last fall’s world championships.
Shilese Jones, another Olympic hopeful, didn't compete at nationals due to a right shoulder injury but plans to be at full strength for trials. Jones, who won all-around silver and bronze at the last two world championships and was runner-up to Biles at last year's nationals, remains a strong contender for the Olympic team.
In summary:
- Simone Biles: Ninth U.S. all-around title, every individual event title, gearing up for her third Olympics.
- Skye Blakely: Significant improvement, second place, upgraded vault routine.
- Suni Lee: Strengthened Paris hopes, mental boost from Biles, finished fourth all-around.
- Shilese Jones: Missed nationals due to injury, planning a comeback for trials.
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