The past three women to capture gymnastics‘ Olympic all-around gold – Gabby Douglas, 2012; Simone Biles, 2016; and Suni Lee, 2020 – are all set to compete this week at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Ft. Worth, Texas. The first day of women’s competition is Friday (31 May).
Though Biles and Douglas are both seeking a third trip to the Olympic Games, the duo find themselves in very different positions.
Biles made her return to competition last season after a year away following the Tokyo 2020 Games, where she won team silver and balance beam bronze after withdrawing from several finals to prioritise her mental health.
Determined to erase those memories, Biles has put her mental health front and centre in her return.
It’s paid off in spades as the 27-year-old captured an eighth U.S. crown and sixth World title last season, both records.
Biles’ 2024 debut was a masterclass as she soared, smiled and stuck her way to a 59.500 all-around score at May’s U.S. Classic, her best all-around total since Tokyo.
Douglas, on the other hand, finds herself in the midst of an improbable comeback to the sport after eight years away.
Her first competition since the Rio 2016 Games, where she won her third Olympic gold, was last month’s American Classic. Despite errors in her debut, Douglas showed she has all of the pieces needed to contend for Team USA and qualified to the U.S. championships on every event but floor exercise.
She competed two weeks later at the U.S. Classic but withdrew after scoring a 10.100 in the opening rotation.
Lee’s journey hasn’t been smooth sailing either – though, after dealing with a kidney-related health issue that ended her collegiate career early and held her out of international competition in the second half of 2023, she appears back on track.
The 21-year-old expects to compete on all four events for the first time since February 2023 and with the performances Lee has put on the competition floor so far this year, she could be a top contender for the all-around podium.
Read on for the trio’s complete schedule and how to watch them compete live at the U.S. Championships.