U.S. gymnastics dominance will be tested with Simone Biles and others absent

Washington Post

a day ago

Hezly Rivera existed in the background last summer in Paris. She brought home a gold medal, but the fanfare centered around her Olympic teammates. Rivera, then 16, had unexpectedly earned a trip to the Games after injuries rocked the U.S. trials. During the Olympic team final, Rivera remained on the sidelines without performing on a single apparatus.
A year later, those Olympic headliners — including Simone Biles — are absent from the competitive floor. The spotlight now belongs to Rivera. This time, she stood alone atop the podium, winning the national all-around title Sunday in New Orleans after delivering eight solid routines across the two-day competition.
The year after the Olympics is often a time of transition, with the focus shifting toward a new generation of athletes. But for now, the top U.S. gymnasts aren't newcomers. Behind Rivera, the next-best scorers at the national championships were Leanne Wong and Joscelyn Roberson, a pair of Olympic alternates with world championship experience.
The three all-around medalists performed well — Wong has strong execution on each apparatus and Roberson tallied a massive difficulty score on floor — but the global dominance of the U.S. women's gymnastics program will soon be tested. The world championships this fall will be a key indicator of how the Americans stack up against the rest of the world without Biles leading the team and racking up medals.
The four gymnasts who will compete at worlds will be determined at a selection camp beginning in late September. Rivera is well-positioned to earn a spot, but it's not guaranteed. She had major errors, placing only 12th, at the recent U.S. Classic. Her performance at nationals showcased consistency, and another strong showing at the selection camp should solidify her place on the team.
An American has won an all-around medal at every world championships and Olympics since 2003. Rivera could have the best potential to extend that streak. At the national championships, Rivera compiled a 112.000 all-around score — a 55.600 on Friday, followed by a 56.400, which would be enough to contend for a position on the world championships podium. But no American in the field can come close to matching the dominance of Biles, who entered major competitions as the seemingly invincible favorite.
Instead, the U.S. gymnasts will be challenged by athletes such as Algeria's Kaylia Nemour and Italy's Manila Esposito, who have notched scores similar to Rivera's marks this weekend. Plus, Russian gymnasts could compete as neutral athletes; the sport's international governing body recently revised its rules that determine an athlete's eligibility.
There is no team competition at the world championships the year after the Olympics; only individual medals are awarded. And the Americans probably will not enter the competition as surefire medal favorites on each apparatus.
Skye Blakely's return to elite competition this weekend boosted the U.S. team's hopes. Blakely, who was on the cusp of earning an Olympic berth when she ruptured her Achilles tendon at a practice ahead of the U.S. trials, performed only on bars and beam. She had some trouble during the first day of competition, then rebounded with a 14.350 on bars and a 14.400 on beam Sunday. No other gymnast scored higher.
This year, the world's best gymnasts on bars and beam have earned mid-14s or better, according to a database of scores maintained by the Gymternet website, and after nationals, Blakely appears to be the American with the best chance of vying for a medal.
Wong, who finished 0.8 points behind Rivera in the all-around competition, impressed Sunday with a difficult vault, which featured a half-turn onto the table before she pushed off with her hands into a front flip with one-and-a-half twists. That skill, called a Cheng, was part of the repertoire of last year's Olympic vault medalists. That element alone significantly bolstered Wong's chances of competing — and potentially winning a medal — at worlds.
Three gymnasts — Rivera, Roberson and Ashlee Sullivan — posted a 14.000 or higher on floor, which would be competitive on the world stage. Roberson has a difficult routine that makes her an appealing option for worlds, but she had a couple of short landings Sunday that hurt her execution score.
The roster the U.S. staff selects surely will feature strong contenders, but the group won't be expected to accumulate one gold after another. For the U.S. gymnastics program, an unusual degree of dominance had become the norm, in large part thanks to Biles, and the Americans could be beginning a new era without her. Biles, 28, hasn't said whether she plans to return, and fellow Olympic veterans Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles haven't announced their intentions either.
At nationals, the gymnasts with world or Olympic experience produced most of the highlights — a nod to the increasing longevity of U.S. elites. Wong, Roberson and Blakely each competed in the NCAA earlier this year. But there are up-and-comers with promise, too — a pipeline critical for the continued success of the U.S. team.
Entering this competition, 17-year-old Jayla Hang had the best all-around score this year among U.S. athletes. She made mistakes Friday, then earned the third-best single-day total Sunday. Claire Pease, 16, won the U.S. Classic but landed in just 10th place here.
There's still time — three years to develop before the Los Angeles Olympics — and the U.S. program might need it. Without Biles, the Americans will head to the world stage bound for tight individual medal races rather than runaway victories.