KATY, Texas (Reuters) – The competition to make the U.S. gymnastics team for the Paris Games is tougher than ever before, with athletes vying for a spot saying that the squad ultimately selected could be the most successful ever at the Olympics.
Among those hoping for a place on the five-member team are all-around Olympic champions Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, and Sunisa Lee – who won the women’s top individual prize in 2012, 2016, and 2021 respectively – as well as Joscelyn Roberson and Tiana Sumanasekera. The team will be named at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Minneapolis in late June.
“This will be one of the best teams the United States has ever had and one of the best teams that the world has ever seen,” said Roberson, who spoke at a media event near Houston. She also noted that the depth of talent this year is unprecedented and unparalleled.
The depth within the squad has been compared to the gold medal-winning “Dream Team” – the 1992 U.S. men’s basketball team that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird.
Leading the way for the U.S. is Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medalist who has transcended the sport. Biles is looking to conquer the sport once again after facing challenges at the Tokyo Games, where she experienced a type of mental block known as “the twisties.”
After taking a two-year hiatus, Biles returned to competition and demonstrated her continued dominance in the sport, winning the all-around at the U.S. Classic and clinching a record eighth all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
At last year’s world championships in Belgium, she secured four gold medals, including a record-equalling sixth all-around crown.
“She’s an icon, a legend, a GOAT for sure,” said Jordan Chiles, who filled in for Biles in Tokyo and won a silver medal in the team event. “She’s the Michael Jordan of gymnastics, she’s what Serena Williams is to tennis. She has changed the culture of this sport.”
Despite the intense pressure, 16-year-old Sumanasekera mentioned that the athletes support each other and enjoy their time together in the gym. “It’s extremely fun,” she said, emphasizing the camaraderie within the team.
“We’re a very silly group of girls. We love to crack jokes with each other and Simone and Zoe (Miller) are the funniest duo ever. Whenever we are having a hard day, they are there to crack a joke and make us laugh even if I am crying. It’s just amazing to have teammates that we’re so fond of and so similar to. Being in that environment is something I’m always looking forward to.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
