Current:Home > NewsMeet the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team, headlined by Simone Biles, Suni Lee -Streamline Finance
Meet the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team, headlined by Simone Biles, Suni Lee
View
Date:2025-04-12 00:44:33
The decision is in, and the U.S. women's gymnastics team for the 2024 Paris Olympics has been finalized.
Simone Biles is on it, of course. She is heavily favored to win her second all-around Olympic gold medal, and tasked with leading the Americans to another team victory at the Games. The U.S. women have won two of the past three team golds, and their chief rival − Russia − has been barred from competing in team competitions.
Biles will be joined on the team by a few of her Olympic teammates from 2021 − and one notable newcomer. Here's a complete breakdown of the team.
Simone Biles
- Age: 27
- Height: 4' 8"
- Hometown: Spring, Texas
- Best event(s): Floor exercise, vault, balance beam
- What more is there to say about Biles? The greatest gymnast of her generation is back for a third trip to the Summer Games, where she will look to add to the seven Olympic medals − including four golds − she has already won. After coming back from a bout of the "twisties" in Tokyo, she has not just looked like her old self over this past year − in many ways, it appears she's gotten even better. It would not be a surprise if she matches her performance from last year's world championships, where she won four golds and a silver, at the Paris Games.
Suni Lee
- Age: 20
- Height: 5' 0"
- Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Best event(s): Balance beam, uneven bars
- What to know: Lee is the reigning all-around Olympic champion and, like Biles, she is in the midst of a comeback. After competing collegiately at Auburn, she was diagnosed with a pair of kidney ailments that caused her body to retain fluids and hindered her ability to train. It took her several months of adjusting medication before she was able to return to the gym, and she has only recently been back at full strength in all-around competition. Despite her time away from the sport, Lee remains one of the world's best − particularly on uneven bars, where her scores sometimes eclipse Biles'.
Jordan Chiles
- Age: 23
- Height: 4' 11"
- Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
- Best event(s): Uneven bars, floor exercise
- What to know: At one point, it looked like Chiles might be left on the outside of the Olympic picture. But the 2021 Olympic team veteran has come on strong over the past few weeks, with decent scores at nationals and a particularly brilliant showing on the first day of the Olympic trials. Chiles, who competed colleigately at UCLA, is a longtime training partner and friend of Biles' who always brings energy and positive vibes to the gym. She's capable of not just filling in but contributing on any apparatus and is expected to play a key role for the team in Paris.
Jade Carey
- Age: 24
- Height: 5' 2"
- Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
- Best event(s): Vault, floor exercise
- What to know: Yet another veteran of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she won gold on floor exercise, Carey went on to compete collegiately at Oregon State before returning to the elite circuit ahead of Paris. She's struggled at times − including a 15th-place finish at the 2023 national championships − but shown steady improvement in recent months, including at trials. Carey will likely be counted on to deliver big scores on floor exercise and vault.
Hezly Rivera
- Age: 16
- Hometown: Oradell, New Jersey
- Best event(s): Balance beam, uneven bars
- What to know: Of the five members on this team, Rivera probably comes as the biggest surprise. The 2023 U.S. junior champion has adapted quickly to the senior level, finishing sixth in the all-around at the national championships earlier this month. This is her first year at the senior level, so she doesn’t have a ton of international experience. But there’s plenty of experience on the team, so she can learn without a lot of pressure being on her directly.
veryGood! (812)
Related
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Post-pandemic burnout takes toll on U.S. pastors: I'm exhausted all the time
- The UK prime minister is visiting Kyiv to announce a new support package for Ukraine
- 'Jellyfish', 'Chandelier' latest reported UFOs caught on video to stoke public interest
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Number of police officer deaths dropped last year, report finds
- Buc-ee's expansion continues as roadside retail juggernaut zeroes in on North Carolina
- Marisa Abela Dramatically Transforms Into Amy Winehouse in Back to Black Trailer
- NCAA hands former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh a 4-year show cause order for recruiting violations
- Cellebrite donates AI investigative tools to nonprofits to help find missing children faster
Ranking
- Hidden Home Gems From Kohl's That Will Give Your Space a Stylish Refresh for Less
- Tom Brady reacts to Bill Belichick, Patriots parting ways with heartfelt message
- Illinois secretary of state tells drivers to ‘ditch the DMV’ and register online
- The Myanmar military says it and ethnic guerrilla groups have agreed to an immediate cease-fire
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce snag People's Choice Awards nominations
- Microscopic fibers link couple to 5-year-old son’s strangulation 34 years ago, sheriff says
- 'It left us': After historic Methodist rift, feelings of betrayal and hope for future
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Fruit Stripe Gum farewell: Chewing gum to be discontinued after half a century
A frigid spell hits the Northwest as storm forecast cancels flights and classes across the US
Reggie Wells, Oprah's longtime makeup artist and Daytime Emmy winner, dies at 76
The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
Boat propeller gravely injures endangered whale calf, NOAA says
Dozens of Kenyan lawyers protest what they say is judicial interference by President Ruto
Ohio woman who miscarried at home won’t be charged with corpse abuse, grand jury decides