Once again, Black girls/women have shown their ability to shine bright like a diamond, this time dominating U.S. Women’s gymnastics. Heading into the U.S. Olympic trials in late June, three Black women took the top three spots in the 2024 Core Hydration Classic in Hartford, CN last weekend.
Of course, the G.O.A.T. Simone Biles finished first, but taking home 2nd and 3rd place were two other Black gymnasts, Shilese Jones and Jordan Chiles, respectively.
Biles
Only three women have ever competed in gymnastics in three separate Olympics for Team USA. And only one medaled in all three Summer Games. Producing that bit of Black Girl Magic was Dominique Dawes, who did it 1992, 1996 and 2000. Biles is looking to add her name to that list.
At the Classic, Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all times, proved she’s still the queen. She dominated the competition. Her all-around performance was nothing short of spectacular, earning her a total score of 59.500.
She clinched gold in the floor exercise with a score of 14.800 and secured silver in both the uneven bars (14.550) and balance beam (14.550). Her highest score of the night came from the vault, where she posted an incredible 15.600, showcasing her power and precision.
Jones
If you haven’t been keeping up with gymnastics, you might not know about Jones. The 5’2”, 20-year-old, from Seattle, WA is considered the second sure thing to make the U.S. Olympic team.
At the Core Hydrations Classic, she finished second in the all-around behind Simone Biles. Additionally, she won gold on the uneven bars, silver on floor exercise behind Biles and placed fourth on balance beam. Her 15.250 on the uneven bars was the highest by .700.
Jones, who achieved a remarkable all-around score of 57.650, mirrored her second place performance alongside Simone Biles at the 2023 World Championship in Antwerp.
The performances of both Biles and Jones underscore the continued dominance of the US in the world of gymnastics.
Chiles
Finishing in third place with a score of 55.450 was the talented young gymnast from Washington state, Jordan Chiles. Chiles, a 2020 Olympian and 2022 World Gold Medalist, has been training with Simone Biles in Spring, TX. A 4’11” 23-year-old, has proven herself to be more than Biles best friend.
Before the Classic, many other names in the mix might have come up before her, for a spot on the five-member Olympic team. However, her third-place finish proves she’s a serious contender for her second Olympics. Placing top 3 again at the U.S. Championships and/or Olympic Trials would go a long way to show Chiles’ consistency and prove her worthy of a spot on the team.
However, selecting a team isn’t as easy as picking the top five all-arounders. While teams compete four of their five gymnasts on each event in qualifying and get to drop the lowest score, they compete three gymnasts in the finals and have to count every score. One fall and the gold could be gone. Two or three, and you might not get any spot on the medals podium.
Having gymnasts who are consistent is important. But so is having a team that can put up big scores across all events. Jones is consistent – her lowest score Saturday was a 14, for a floor routine Jones said is “still building” – and she gives the Americans a monster score on uneven bars. Her 15.25, for a routine she’s upgraded since last season, was the second-highest score of the night, on any event.
However, Chiles had two scores in the 13s. She scored 14.100 on vault, 14.300 on bars, 13.700 on beam, and 13.350 on floor.
Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas, who announced her return to gymnastics earlier this year, also competed at the Hartford Classic. The three-time Olympic gold medalist returned to gymnastics stepped away from the sport following the 2016 Olympics. She helped Team USA win gold at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
Her return didn’t go well. The 28-year-old began the night on the uneven bars and couldn’t find her rhythm. She messed up on a twist twice before stepping down and restarting. As she added more chalk to her hands before her third attempt, the crowd began chanting “Gabby. Gabby. Gabby.” Douglas finished the bars with a score of 10.100.
That was the last fans saw of Douglas Saturday night as she pulled out for the remainder of the competition before starting her second rotation.
At her peak, Douglas was the all-around champion at the 2012 Olympics.
