Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
Jul 26, 2024
The best gymnasts in the nation are heading to Paris to represent America in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The gymnastics competition will feature three categories: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampolining. Artistic gymnastics will take place at the Bercy Arena from July 27 to August 5. In past Olympic trial years, the selection process was far more complicated, but significant modifications were made after the 2020 Summer Olympics. This year, the artistic gymnastics team event will see a maximum of five gymnasts eligible to participate, a change from Tokyo 2020, where each team consisted of four gymnasts and two individual competitors.
Women’s artistic gymnastics consists of four individual events, each requiring distinct skills and strengths: balance beam, floor exercise, vault, and uneven bars. These events demand coordination, focus, accuracy, strength, and agility. Since 2005, scoring has combined a D score (difficulty/content of the exercise) and an E score (execution) to better differentiate athletes’ performances.
Representing the United States in Paris is an ethnically diverse group of dedicated and high-achieving women: 37-time Olympic and World medalist Simone Biles, Olympic floor exercise gold medalist Jade Carey, Olympic team silver medalist Jordan Chiles, reigning Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee, and two-time 2023 Junior World silver medalist and 2024 Winter Cup balance beam champion Hezly Rivera. These elite athletes are determined to reclaim gold both individually and as a team this summer. The last team final gold the U.S. brought home was at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, featuring a historic team of athletes: Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman.
The greatest gymnast ever, Simone Biles, will be making her third appearance at the Summer Olympics at age 27. The African-American gymnast, adopted and raised by Ronald and Nellie Biles, has been a dominant force in the sport. There was no doubt that Biles would be competing in the Olympics this year, as she was Team USA’s automatic qualifier for the Olympic trials. Throughout her Olympic career, Biles has earned seven Olympic medals, including gold in the team event. At this year’s Olympic trials, she delivered outstanding performances, securing 1st place in the all-around (117.225), 1st on vault (31.475) and floor exercise (29.575), 2nd on the uneven bars (28.625), and 4th on the balance beam (27.550).
In 2020, Simone Biles was forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Summer Olympics after experiencing a severe case of the “twisties,” a dangerous mental block that causes gymnasts to lose their sense of space mid-air. According to her Team USA profile, “Simone Biles is renowned for her skills and performances, particularly in the floor exercise, where her dynamic routines have captivated audiences and displayed her unparalleled athleticism.” Four years later, she’s back and better than ever, stronger and ready to begin the next chapter of her historic career. She’s calling it the “redemption tour” for herself and her fellow teammates.
Jade Carey
Jade Carey, 24, another familiar Olympian, is making a return to this year’s Olympic team. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she took home the individual gold for her exceptional and rigorous floor exercise. The American gymnast, of Jewish heritage, comes from a family with a strong athletic background. Her grandfather, Oscar Szmuch, represented the United States as a marathon runner in the 1989 Maccabiah Games in Israel, and in 2005, his daughter (Carey’s mother, Orley Szmuch) competed there as well.
Jade Carey has built a remarkable reputation both in college gymnastics at Oregon State, where she has garnered numerous accolades and on the national stage as an Olympic gymnast. Along with her Olympic gold for her floor exercise routine, she also had an impressive vault performance. In her 2024 Olympic trials debut, Carey delivered outstanding scores: 2nd on vault (29.275), 2nd on floor (28.225), 6th on the beam (27.200), tied for 8th on the uneven bars (26.650), and 4th all-around (111.350). Her competitive nature and skill on the floor are noteworthy as she chases gold later this month.
Jordan Chiles, 23, has trained alongside Simone Biles since 2019 at the World Champions Centre in Texas, owned by the Biles family. She will be making her second appearance at the Olympics, after participating in the 2021 Olympics with Team USA and helping the team earn a silver medal. Chiles is of mixed race, with a Black father, Timothy Chiles, and a mother, Gina Velasquez.
Jordan had a strong showing at the Olympic trials, cementing her place as one of the five gymnasts to compete in Paris this summer. Her scores at the trials were: 2nd on floor exercise (28.200), 3rd on the uneven bars (28.525), tied for 3rd on vault (28.825), 11th on the beam (25.850), and 3rd all-around (111.425). According to Sporting News, the deferred UCLA Bruin “is a well-rounded gymnast with no big weaknesses, and her strength on the bars and the vault give Team USA plenty of depth at those positions.”
Suni Lee
After her 2020 Olympic debut, where she became the first Asian-American woman to win gold in the women’s all-around, Sunisa “Suni” Lee, 21, spent two seasons with Auburn Gymnastics. During her college career, she earned numerous awards and accolades, such as 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year, 2023 WCGA All-American 2nd Team, and SEC Gymnast of the Week six times, among many others. In 2023, Lee, who is of Hmong descent, had her time with Auburn University gymnastics cut short after being diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease.
Suni Lee is a force to be reckoned with, showcasing not only outstanding gymnastics skills but also tremendous mental strength and determination. Despite facing challenges, she fought back in time to make the Olympic trials and compete this summer. Her scores at trials were impressive: 1st on uneven bars (29.275), 5th on the balance beam (27.275), 7th on floor exercise (27.550), 10th on vault (27.625), and 2nd all-around (111.675). Her spectacular performances on the balance beam and uneven bars over the years make her a strong contender for gold, and she is a perfect fit for Team USA’s roster.
Hezly Rivera
At just 16 years old, Hezly Rivera will be competing in her first Olympics in Paris. She gained significant attention in 2023 when she became the U.S. junior champion before transitioning to the senior level, where she placed 6th in the all-around national championship. The gymnast of Dominican heritage secured the fifth roster spot with her strong scores, solidifying her position as an impressive contender for Team USA.
Rivera, the youngest participant on the team, has made history as the youngest gymnast to join Team USA at the Olympics since Laurie Hernandez in 2016, who won a gold medal just under a month after her 16th birthday. At the Olympic trials, Rivera tied for 1st on the beam (27.925), placed 4th on the uneven bars (28.325), 7th on the vault (27.725), 8th on the floor (27.075), and 5th all-around (111.150). The New Jersey native is renowned for her strong performances on the beam and uneven bars. She is coached by Valeri and Anna Liukin, the parents of 2008 all-around champion Nastia Liukin.
The U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team is ready for another shot at gold this summer, aiming to reclaim glory after falling short in 2020 and not securing gold since 2016. Throughout the Summer Olympics, NBC will provide extensive daytime coverage spanning at least nine hours daily, featuring live events such as swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and more. Additionally, every event will be streamed live on Peacock, offering comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, and updates on medal standings. Don’t miss Team USA’s Artistic Gymnastics events, scheduled from July 27 to August 5.
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Kaili Spooner's passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider's values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
Kaili Spooner’s passion lies in sports journalism and Black TV/Film, and her writing strongly aligns with The Hollywood Insider’s values of delivering factual and in-depth coverage. While her future career goal is to be a sports journalist and do social media work for the NBA/WNBA, for now, she balances her academic pursuits with being a collegiate volleyball player at SSU and unwinding with her favorite comedy and drama sitcoms at home.
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