A triumphant return. After a two-year absence, world gymnastics superstar Simone Bales won the women’s all-around at the US Championships in San Jose on Sunday, a record eighth title. The four-time Olympic champion electrified the audience with a final performance on floor that earned her 15.400 points, the last score of a total of 118.450 points.
This eighth national title in all-around allowed her to beat Alfred Jochim’s record, which had set it at seven in 1933. She also became, at 26, the oldest gymnast to win the national all-around, ten years after his first coronation. The American star had been in the lead since the first night of competition on Friday, when she landed a double pike Yurchenko, a jump so difficult no other gymnast had ever performed it in competition.
No projection yet on the Paris Olympics
His win on Sunday is the second in as many competitions since returning from a two-year hiatus. She had withdrawn from most events at the 2021 Olympics in Japan for mental health and safety reasons. The gymnast explained that she experienced an attack of “twists”, dangerous loss of bearings in space exposing athletes to the risk of injury when they land.
In San José, Biles was the only competitor to finish the two days of competition with two scores above 15. Her runner-up Shi Jones obtained one Sunday, 15.0, on the uneven bars. This performance is one more step towards the 2024 Olympics in Paris, with, first, the world championships in Antwerp which will begin on September 30.
Simone Biles, however, refused to detail her “personal goals” since her triumphant return on August 5 at the US Classic. “I like to keep them to myself (…) I think it’s better that way. I’m trying to move a little differently this year compared to before. I think it’s working for now,” she said. As to whether her goals include Paris, she replied that it’s “not yet” the time.