The past two women to capture gymnastics' Olympic all-around gold – Simone Biles, 2016; and Suni Lee, 2020 – are all set to compete this week at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Ft. Worth, Texas. The first day of women’s competition is Friday (31 May).
Biles made her return to competition last season after a year away following the Tokyo 2020 Games, where she won team silver and balance beam bronze after withdrawing from several finals to prioritise her mental health.
Determined to erase those memories, Biles has put her mental health front and centre in her return.
It’s paid off in spades as the 27-year-old captured an eighth U.S. crown and sixth World title last season, both records.
Biles’ 2024 debut was a masterclass as she soared, smiled and stuck her way to a 59.500 all-around score at May’s U.S. Classic, her best all-around total since Tokyo.
Lee’s journey to the U.S. championships hasn’t been smooth sailing.