With the 2024 Paris Olympicsless than two months away, the stars of U.S. Gymnastics are gearing up to earn their stripes.
A crowded and distinguished American field will make this year’s Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, from Thursday through Sunday, anything but routine.
This year’s U.S. Championships will seeSimone Biles, Shilese Jones, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey,Suni Lee, and morecompete for a spot on Team USA. The men’s side features a field with no clear cut favorites, but a number of rising stars, including Asher Hong and Frederick Richard.
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What are the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships?
The stakes for the 41 senior women and 33 senior men competitors are high at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships: It is the last major meet ahead of the Olympic trials in a month; and offers the chance for the winner in the women’s all-around one of the five spots on the Olympic squad. The men’s all-around winner will make the Olympic team if he also finishes in the top three in three of the six apparatus events at this weekend’s meet.
There are events for junior (13-18) and senior levels (16 and up), with the athletes in the latter category eligible for Olympic consideration.
The rest of the Olympic rosters will be filled out by selection committees, with the Olympic Trials from June 27-30 providing a final opportunity to impress.
USA's Simone Biles competes in the artistic gymnastics women's balance beam final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on August 3, 2021. Photo: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images
Broadcast Schedule(Eastern Time)
The Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships will be broadcast live on NBC Sports andPeaco*ck, with the marquee Senior Women’s Session 2, Day 2 event airing live on NBC on Sunday starting at 8 p.m. EST.
Thursday, May 30 from 8 - 10:30 p.m. — Senior Men - Day 1 — Peaco*ck
Friday, May 31 from 8 - 10 p.m. — Senior Women - Day 1 (Session 2) — Peaco*ck
Saturday, June 1 from 8 - 10:30 p.m. — Senior Men - Day 2 — CNBC, Peaco*ck, NBC.com, NBC/NBC Sports app
Sunday, June 2 from 7 - 9 p.m. — Senior Women - Day 2 (Session 2) — NBC, Peaco*ck, NBC.com, NBC/NBC Sports app
If you miss any of the live action from Days 1 and 2, you can catch up by watching the following broadcasts of tape-delayed coverage (all times Eastern, subject to change. Also streaming on NBC.com and the NBC/NBC Sports apps).
Saturday, June 1 from 12 - 2:30 p.m. — Senior Men - Day 1 — CNBC
Saturday June 1 from 2:30 - 5 p.m. — Senior Women (Session 2) - Day 1 — CNBC
Sunday, June 2 from 3 - 4 p.m. — Senior Men - Day 2 — NBC
The junior men, junior women and Session 1 of the senior women can be seen on theUSA Gymnastics YouTube channel.
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Senior Women to Watch
Shilese Jones of Team United States competes on Balance Beam during the Women's All Around Final on Day Seven of the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Antwerp Sportpaleis on October 06, 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium. Photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
American women gymnasts have dominated the Summer Games throughout the 21st Century, winning the all-around gold in the last five Olympics. This year’s squad could be especially deep.
Biles, the most decorated U.S. gymnast of all time, headlines the crowded field competing at the Xfinity U.S. Championships. The 27-year-old is looking to add to her record eight U.S. championships in Fort Worth. A virtual lock to make the Olympic squad, Biles is looking to add to her record 37 world and Olympic medals after mental health issues forced her to withdraw from most of the events at the 2021 Tokyo Games. Biles won the world title for the sixth time last October, and dominated the Core Hydration Classic this month, taking the all-around title.
Shilese Jones, 21, finished second at the Core Hydration Classic, and took second place in the all-around at the last two U.S. championships. She’s a six-time World silver medalist who excels at the uneven bars.
Suni Lee is battling kidney ailments that sidelined her for much of the 2023 season, but she's back and determined to stick it at the upcoming event. The first Asian-American to win an Olympic all-around gold made a comeback at the Core Hydration Classic and posted the top score on the balance beam.
Fellow Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles, a viral sensation for her perfect 10 floor and bar routines for UCLA, is also a top contender to make the trip to Paris. She finished third at the Core Hydration Classic on May 18.
Jade Carey, the floor exercise champion at the Tokyo Games, won the American Classic last month and finished fourth at the Core Hydration Classic.
Having withdrawn from the Core Hydration Classic after two falls on the uneven bars during the first rotation, Gabby Douglas is officially out of the running for a spot on the 2024 Olympic squad. She shared that she suffered an ankle injury during training in the week leading up to the event.
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Senior Men to Watch
Frederick Richard of the United States celebrates his bronze medal victory in the Men-s All-Around Final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships-Antwerp 2023 at the Antwerp Sportpaleis on October 5th, 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium. Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
The U.S. Men’s Team is less heralded than their women counterparts, and the last time an American male gymnast won the all-around gold came when Paul Hamm managed the feat at the 2004 Athens Games. The U.S. Men haven’t medaled in the team event since a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games.
There is an influx of rising talent, however, competing at the Xfinity U.S. Championships among the 33 competitors. Richard, 19, became the first American gymnast to win an all-around medal (bronze) at the World Championships and the youngest American male to win an individual medal in that tournament.
Nineteen-year-old Hong, the defending U.S. champion, is another one of the favorites.
Just two years ago, Brody Malone, winner of the 2021 and 2022 U.S all-around titles, was arguably the best in the country. That changed — at least temporarily — on March 18, 2023, when he fell off the high bar at a meet in Germany, resulting in a severe leg injury requiring multiple surgeries. Fourteen months later, the 24-year-old is making his comeback.
Another veteran to watch is Yul Moldauer, 27, the 2023 and 2024 Winter Cup all-around champion and a member of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic squad.
Watch live coverage of theOpening Ceremonyon Friday, July 26, on NBC and Peaco*ck beginning at 12 p.m. ET. Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Primetime coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC andPeaco*ck.
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