The GOAT is eyeing her third Olympic team this summer.
Simone Biles is leading by 3.4 points after the first day of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, positioning herself to win a record ninth all-around title ahead of the Paris Olympics. Biles scored highest in the vault with her Yurchenko double pike and maintained her lead on the uneven bars and balance beam. She concluded with a strong floor exercise routine, earning a 15.200. Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello, Suni Lee, and Leanne Wong followed in the top five.
Suni Lee competed in all four events for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics, finishing fourth despite previous health issues. Shilese Jones withdrew due to a shoulder injury but plans to petition for the Olympic Trials. Gabby Douglas also withdrew after a season-ending ankle injury.
Sunday’s competition will determine national champions and qualifiers for the Olympic Trials. The top two all-around finishers at the Championships gain automatic berths, with additional qualifiers chosen by a selection committee. If Biles makes the U.S. Olympic team, she will be the first American woman since Dominique Dawes to make three Olympic teams. Biles recently secured a dominant victory at the Core Hydration Classic, her first competition since winning her sixth individual all-around world title in Antwerp.