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Simone Biles is already the winningest gymnast in United States history.
She can add to her incredible resume this weekend by becoming the only gymnast – man or woman – to win eight all-around titles at the U.S. gymnastics championships. The competition will be held at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, and will also feature Biles’ Olympic teammate Suni Lee.
Biles, 26, made her return to gymnastics earlier this month when she won the U.S. Classic after two years away from the sport. She dropped out of most events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after experiencing the “twisties,” a term for when a gymnast loses his or her sense of where they are in the air, and she later became an advocate for mental health.
She won her seventh U.S. championship in June 2021, weeks before the Olympic trials. That victory tied Alfred Jochim, who captured seven all-around titles nearly 100 years ago.
Keep up with live updates on Biles and the other gymnasts as they kick off the competition tonight in San Jose.
Simone Biles leads after first rotation
After scoring a 14.45 on balance beam, Simone Biles has a .050 lead over Skye Blakely after the first rotation. While that appears close, Blakely started on uneven bars, her best event. Shilese Jones, the silver medalist in the all-around at last year’s world championships, is third at 14.350.
Simone Biles balance beam routine
Simone Biles recovered from a shaky start to her balance beam routine. Her right foot was slightly off-balance on her mount, causing her to wobble before she regained her balance. She also had to come out of her crouch as she neared completion of the third revolution in her wolf turn. They weren’t huge deductions, and the rest of her routine was solid. Her 14.45 put her in familiar territory: in first place.
HOW TO WATCH:US gymnastics championships TV channel, live stream for Simone Biles’ attempt at history
OPINION:USA Gymnastics doesn’t know who called Simone Biles a ‘gold-medal token.’ That’s unacceptable.
When is Simone Biles competing again?
Simone Biles will return to action Friday night when the women’s senior competition begins at 8 p.m. ET.
Want to keep track of where Simone Biles is tonight?
She starts the night on balance beam, then moves to floor exercise, goes to vault and finishes Day 1 of the national championships on uneven bars. She’s the final competitor on bars, too.
Simone Biles met with cheers
Biles was greeted with loud cheers and screams when she was introduced Friday night in San Jose, CA. Biles grinned and waved to acknowledge fans following the applause from the crowd, which includes Biles’ mother, dad and brother.
Reigning Olympic champion Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey, the Olympic champion on floor exercise, also got enthusiastic cheers from the crowd at the SAP Center.
Is Simone Biles sending a message?
Biles and two of her World Champions Centre teammates wore purple leotards with “But still I rise” on the back for warmups Friday afternoon. The line is adapted from Maya Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise.”
It’s not clear why Biles chose that line for the leotard, which is part of her personal GK collection, nor if the message will be on her competition leotard. But the poem is a tribute to persevering in the face of hardship and criticism, and Biles is no stranger to that. These are her first national championships since the Tokyo Olympics, where anxiety manifested itself in a case of “the twisties” and forced her to withdraw one event into the team final.
Biles missed four individual finals before returning for the balance beam final, where she won a bronze medal.
How to watch Simone Biles tonight
Friday night’s action at the U.S. Gymnastics championships can be seen on Peacock.
USA Gymnastics doesn’t know who called Simone Biles a ‘gold-medal token.’ That’s unacceptable.
Simone Biles deserved better from USA Gymnastics. Still does.
Her being treated like a commodity by someone with USA Gymnastics — Biles said she was called a “gold-medal token” — deserves answers, not ignorance.
Simone Biles should be judged on what she can do, not what other gymnasts can’t
Simone Biles shouldn’t be punished for giving international gymnastics officials exactly what they wanted.
The four-time Olympic champion continues to push the boundaries of the sport and it appears the International Gymnastics Federation is going to continue to push back, refusing to give the skills she does their rightful value.
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