With Simone Biles Out, Meet The Title Contenders At The U.S. Gymnastics Championships

Forbes

3 days ago

For the first time since 2022, there will be a new U.S. national gymnastics champion in the women's division. Simone Biles has won every national title she has competed for (since 2013), with Konnor McClain (2022) and Ragan Smith (2017) winning in Biles' years away from the sport.
With Biles' future on the competitive stage on hold, 2025 marks another year for a new star to emerge as national champion. On Sunday, one athlete will etch her name into the gymnastics record books at the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
Held August 7 through 10, twenty-four athletes will vie for the all-around and event titles in the women's senior field, with 19 competing in the junior division. Scores from night one will carry over into the final day, and the combined totals will determine the all-around and event final winners.
Junior phenom Lavi Crain is expected to dominate her division. The 14-year-old is undefeated in 2025 and most recently cruised to the title at the U.S. Classic in July.
The senior field is wide open, with five national titles – including the coveted all-around title – up for grabs. Here's who's expected to contend for the crown in New Orleans.
The Contenders: All-Around
For only the third time in more than a decade, fans are guaranteed a new national gymnastics champion. With a field comprised of select veterans and a swath of newcomers, the all-around is anyone's game.
Jayla Hang, the 2025 Pan American All-Around Champion, burst into the conversation this year with her dominant performance in Panama. The future Florida Gator dominated the championship, medaling on all four events (including in the team and all-around). Hang has virtually no weaknesses and brings stellar execution to boot.
Though she only competed bars and beam at the recent U.S. Classic, the 17-year-old looks primed to fight for her first U.S. National title. However, she is not the only contender ready to compete for gold.
U.S. Classic All-Around Champion Claire Pease looks to be peaking at the right time in her first year as a senior elite. Pease was the junior U.S. Champion in 2024 and brings elegance and poise to the gymnastics stage.
Pease is also joined by her Olympic Champion training partner Hezly Rivera. Rivera rocketed into the spotlight after earning a surprise spot on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, ultimately bringing home gold.
While Rivera has struggled with consistency in 2025, the 17-year-old has untapped potential and high-difficulty gymnastics on multiple events. If Rivera can hit, the top spot is within reach.
Simone Rose – Hang's club teammate – finished just behind Pease at the U.S. Classic, impressing fans with a stuck vault and consistency across the four events. Watch out for Rose as she looks to climb the standings from day one to day two.
Joscelyn Roberson is also a challenger for the podium. Roberson claimed bronze in the all-around at July's U.S. Classic with a downgraded skillset and looks primed to bring full routines to New Orleans.
Though bars have long been Roberson's vice, the Arkansas Razorback posted a formidable score at the U.S. Classic, bolstering her role as an all-around threat.
When discussing potential, few have embraced theirs more in 2025 than Ashlee Sullivan. Sullivan impressed with a win at February's Winter Cup and followed the win with bronze at the City of Jesolo Trophy and a beam title at the U.S. Classic. A true all-around gymnast, Sullivan is favored for a podium finish.
Despite leading the field with a breadth of international experience, 21-year-old Leanne Wong is an underdog in the all-around race. The former Florida Gator, entrepreneur, and master's student returns to elite after her final season in the NCAA.
Wong brings a plethora of her college skills to the elite stage but has not shown top difficulty yet on multiple events. Nonetheless, with a resume like Leanne Wong's, it isn't easy to count her out.
Tiana Sumanasekera, another Olympic alternate, will also factor into all-around results. The UCLA commit returns to all four events after an injury-riddled start to the 2025 season. Despite returning from injury, Sumanasekera looked strong in podium training on Wednesday.
The Contenders: Vault
2023 U.S. vault champion Joscelyn Roberson comes into New Orleans as the likely favorite on the event. While Roberson has occasionally struggled with form errors, she could vault over the competition with Olympic-level skills. Her most difficult vault – the 'Cheng' – will be key to the win.
Named after the 2008 Olympic gold medalist Cheng Fei (CHN), the vault's superior difficulty value puts Roberson at a significant advantage. If she cleanly vaults the Cheng, the title is hers to lose. If she vaults the lesser-valued Lopez, it's a toss-up.
Fellow World vault finalist Leanne Wong has also competed the Cheng, netting a third-place finish at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. However, we have not yet seen Wong on vault at an elite competition in 2025. The Olympic alternate will need two strong vaults to contend with the field of newcomers.
Pan American Champion Jayla Hang also brings power to the vaulting table in 2025. Hang won bronze on vault at the Pan American Games and looks to capitalize on her strong block and execution.
While not known for her power events, Claire Pease surprised fans with an impressive vault effort at the U.S. Classic. Pease's Yurchenko double full stood as the highest vault score of the weekend, earning her the gold as the only athlete to compete two vaults.
Oklahoma Gymnastics commit Izzy Stassi won the vault title at the 2025 Winter Cup but could not contend at the U.S. Classic due to a late withdrawal. Stassi will look to fight her way onto the podium in New Orleans.
The Contenders: Bars
After the unfortunate withdrawal of U.S. Classic bars champion Myli Lew in podium training, the women's bars title is even more up for grabs.
Simone Rose finished a close second to Lew at the U.S. Classic, showing intricate release work and a massive full-twisting double layout dismount. Claire Pease was just behind the Olympic Trials finalist in third, bringing higher difficulty. Though Pease stumbled forward on her landing in Chicago, she still placed third in the event.
Fans should also watch out for Alicia Zhou. The Winter Cup bars champion, she has shown steady composure throughout the season. After a fourth-place finish at the U.S. Classic, Zhou looks to do one (two, or three) better in New Orleans.
While Zhou is steady and solid, Ally Damelio is dynamic. The first-year senior elite drew gasps from the audience at the U.S. Classic when she competed the difficult 'Seitz' skill—a full twist between the uneven bars. With two hit routines from Damelio, a medal finish is feasible.
Gabrielle Hardie, the Pan American Champion on bars, will also factor into the medal podium. Though her difficult is lower than many of the top athletes, Hardie stands out due to her superior execution. The same goes for Dulcy Caylor, who delivered one of the cleanest routines of the night at the U.S. Classic.
While the newcomers have potential, veterans could crash the (podium) party.
Leanne Wong has not yet brought her peak difficulty to the event in 2025, but Wong's unmatched consistency continues to keep her routines in the hunt for medals. If she can hit her elements to her best ability and stick her dismount, she's in the hunt.
Bars gave Hezly Rivera trouble at U.S. Classic, but the Olympian was stellar on the event in 2024. She also hit strong routines at the Pan American Games, delivering a solid 13.850 in the team final. If Rivera can regain her consistency in New Orleans, a bars medal is within reach.
Fans will anxiously await Skye Blakely's return to the bars. Blakely was the U.S. bronze medalist at the event in 2024, and she nailed her bars routine at the 2023 World Championships, helping Team USA to win gold. With a stunning natural swing and a huge dismount, Blakely could sneak in for the win.
The Contenders: Beam
Another event, another battle. Ashlee Sullivan arrives in New Orleans as the U.S. Classic beam champion. Sullivan looked unfazed in Chicago, sticking her difficult-standing Arabian, and hitting her dismount without hesitation. With big skills and improved execution, Sullivan is a frontrunner on beam.
Joscelyn Roberson brought the house down with a rock-solid beam routine at U.S. Classic, nailing her triple series and combination dismount. With a style reminiscent of Olympic Champion Shawn Johnson's, Roberson's dynamic routine packs a punch. If she can hone in on her execution, beam gold is within reach.
First-year senior elite Harlow Buddendeck also impressed the judges in Chicago, claiming silver just behind Sullivan. With beautiful lines and quick, confident connections on the apparatus, Buddendeck could be a dark horse for a medal.
Though Tatum Drusch did not compete recently at the U.S. Classic, Drusch heads into the weekend as a contender. Drusch posted a meet-winning 13.850 at the Winter Cup, where she nailed her acrobatic series. If she can replicate her Winter Cup performance in New Orleans, she could challenge for the podium.
Claire Pease brought her signature elegance to the beam at the U.S. Classic, where she claimed bronze. Earlier this year, she posted a huge 13.850 at the City of Jesolo Trophy and won the beam titles at the Winter Cup and Antalya World Cup.
Tiana Sumanasekera should also contend, even as she returns to the competitive stage. The Olympic alternate is known for her confident, elegant beam work and should make an immediate impact on results.
Few athletes work the beam like Skye Blakely. The World beam finalist also returns to the event this weekend, and she looks ready. The veteran nailed multiple routines in training, including her difficult standing full twist.
Despite recent struggles, Hezly Rivera also has immense potential on beam. Rivera won the event (tied with Roberson) at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials and has shown massive difficulty in training. Though she has struggled with consistency as of late, if Rivera can put two routines together this weekend, we should be in for a treat.
Lastly, while Leanne Wong did not bring full difficulty to the U.S. Classic—resulting in a tie for fifth place—the elite gymnastics veteran was fourth on beam at the 2021 World Championships. With clean, steady gymnastics, Wong's beam routines can contend.
The Contenders: Floor
As one of many events previously dominated by Simone Biles, the floor national title is another toss-up, with multiple newcomers vying for the win.
Biles' club teammate Reese Esponda emerged as a favorite after stunning the field at the U.S. Classic. In her first-floor routine of the year returning from injury, Esponda rocketed to the top of the podium. Could she do the same in New Orleans? It's possible.
Joscelyn Roberson looks to challenge her. Roberson showed massive tumbling at the U.S. Classic, mounting with her signature double-twisting double-layout. However, she did not show a complete routine in Chicago. If Roberson can bring her full repertoire, a podium finish is likely.
Though she's often regarded for her beam and bar work, Hezly Rivera impressed on the floor at the U.S. Classic, tumbling and dancing to a second-place finish. Judges seem to love Rivera's showmanship, which could lend to strong scores in New Orleans.
Jayla Hang is also one to watch on the floor. She claimed silver in the event at the Pan American Championships and brings seemingly effortless tumbling and execution to the competitive floor. She will be joined by Gabrielle Hardie, who finished just behind her at the Pan American Games.
While we haven't seen her the elite floor yet in 2025, Leanne Wong is the most accomplished floor worker in the field: she was the World bronze medalist in the event in 2021. Known for her versatile tumbling and excellent showmanship, the a medal is not out of the question if Wong is healthy.
Ashlee Sullivan struggled on floor at the U.S. Classic, but the budding star clinched silver at the Winter Cup and showed impressive upgrades in training. With her clean and consistent gymnastics, Sullivan will likely be in the hunt for medals.
Olympic alternate Tiana Sumanasekera also expects to return to floor. The UCLA commit is known for her artistry and self-choreographed routines, claiming bronze at the 2024 U.S. Championships. Ultimately, a healthy Tiana is a top contender.
Last but surely not least is Nola Matthews. Like Sumanasekera, Matthews is a fan-favorite due to her artistry. Both gymnasts plan to join the UCLA Gymnastics team in 2026. Though Matthews' difficulty is lower than that of the top contenders, her artistry wins the hearts of fans and judges alike.