U.S. gymnasts posing for a photo after earning all-around team spots at the 2019 Women's World Championships Selection Camp on Sept. 22, 2019 in Sarasota, Florida.
At this stage of her career, Simone Biles has broken just about every record that exists in the world of women’s gymnastics.
There are a handful left, however, that don’t belong solely to her, including most world championships medals won (Biles is tied with Svetlana Khorkina of Russia with 20). Although there was never any question that she would make the team that will represent the U.S. at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships next month in Stuttgart, Germany, and try to make that record her own, Biles officially earned her spot at the conclusion of the all-around portion of USA Gymnastics’ World Team Selection Camp on Sunday in Sarasota, Florida.
It was no surprise that Biles won the all-around and automatically became the first woman named to the team. She’s now tied with 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kerri Strug, seven-time Olympic medalist Shannon Miller and 2008 Olympic team silver medalist Alicia Sacramone as the only U.S. women to make five world championships teams. Sacramone was injured at her final worlds in 2011 and did not compete, and two of Miller's worlds were in 1994, so Biles is set to tie Strug for the only U.S. women to compete at worlds in five separate years.
In Stuttgart, Biles will look to earn her sixth world or Olympic all-around title.
Biles scored a 15.350 on the vault, 14.800 on the floor exercise with her opening triple-double tumbling pass, 13.850 on the uneven bars despite a fall and 14.550 on the balance beam for a total of 58.550. Only Kara Eaker scored ahead of Biles in Group A on one apparatus, earning a 13.900 on the uneven bars. Biles beat everyone on floor exercise and vault.
Not far behind her was Sunisa Lee, who took the all-around silver medal at this year’s national championships. She finished just .350 behind Biles, scoring 58.550 in a result that was closer than many might have anticipated.
The remaining five gymnasts will be chosen after day two of the camp on Monday, when each gymnast will compete on two events as chosen by the Athlete Selection Committee. Criteria for selection will include results from the 2019 American Classic, GK U.S. Classic, U.S. Championships, international competitions and the selection camp, plus factors such as consistency and the potential for team, all-around and event medals.
In addition to Biles, the 12 women at the camp are 2018 world team members Morgan Hurd, Grace McCallum and Eaker, plus Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Aleah Finnegan, Emily Lee, Sunisa Lee, MyKayla Skinner, Trinity Thomas, Faith Torrez and Leanne Wong. Riley McCusker, who also competed at worlds last year, and Shilese Jones withdrew before camp started because of injury.
The U.S. will look to extend its streak of six consecutive world and Olympic team titles.
Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
