Photo by Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images
Team USA women’s gymnastics is one of the best shows in the world.
Don’t call it a comeback, they’ve been here for years.
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team is in the middle of a revenge tour in Paris the likes of which we haven’t seen before at the Olympic games. The band is back together, three years removed from a crushing campaign in Tokyo that saw Simone Biles get the twisties and bow out of individual competition after struggling during the team event.
Mounting mistakes were all too much for USA to defend its crown at the 2020 games, leading to the ROC winning gold, and USA settling for silver. Don’t confuse this with a changing of the guard though, because this was merely a blip on the radar, a gift to another nation to give them a chance to win. Now Biles is back, her form has returned, and she’s joined by what might be the most talented team the United States has ever sent to the games.
Who is on the 2024 Team USA women’s gymnastics team?
Simone Biles
Resume: Seven-time Olympic medalist, 23-time World Championship gold medalist, 39 total international medals
What’s left to say about the GOAT? Simone Biles is the greatest athlete in the history of women’s gymnastics, and she’s seeking her third-straight Olympic medal. Now aged 27, Biles is the elder stateswoman of the national team, but nobody should confuse that for her taking a step back into a leadership role. Biles has five unique elements named after her, four of which have never been landed by anyone but her in competition.
A multi-discipline mastermind, Biles will make her biggest impacts for Team USA on floor, beam, and vault — where it’s expected she could win individual gold in all three events.
The 2024 games marks her return to Olympic competition and a statement to make.
Jade Carey
Resume: One-time Olympic medalist, three-time World Championship gold medalist, 11 total international medals
Another returning member of from the 2020 team in Tokyo, Carey is another multi-discipline star with a history of performing in major competition on an individual level. The 24-year-old has been largely forced to watch the likes of Biles and Suni Lee best her in competition — but at times Carey has taken the spotlight in her own right, such as the 2018 Pan America games, in which she won gold in vault and floor.
While not necessarily one of the power players on Team USA, Carey offers much-needed stability and reliability to the team. The often unflappable Carey is a master at keeping an even keel, especially during adversity — which could serve the team extremely well.
Jordan Chiles
Resume: One-time Olympic medalist, one-time World Championship gold medalist, 11 total international medals
Jordan Chiles makes her return to the Olympic games after being another returning member from the 2020 squad. Another world championship in vault and floor, in 2023 Chiles added another arrow to her quiver by winning the NCAA Championship with UCLA in uneven bars, an area Team USA has traditionally struggled the most in competition.
The 23-year-old is an all-around virtuoso, showing her multi-discipline skill at the U.S. Olympic trials where she finished second in vault, and third in uneven bars, floor, and all-around. Beam might be Chiles’ biggest weakness, but she is strong enough in every other area that it’s not of monumental concern. The fact that she’s the third returning member of the 2020 team, and had to manage the struggles of Simone Biles in Tokyo means that the moment won’t be too big for her.
Suni Lee
Resume: One-time Olympic medalist, one-time World Championship gold medalist, six total international medals
Suni Lee is Team USA’s second ace. Winner of the all-around gold in Tokyo, Lee took some time off following the last games to explore other avenues while competing for Auburn in the NCAA Championships — but now she’s back, and ready to help propel USA to gold.
A rough 2023 college season saw Lee struggle after being diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease. This initially took a toll on her competition, but it also caused Lee to refocus her energy on gymnastics in the hopes of making one more major run. An elite training regimen paid off, as Lee has seen a significant return to form where on any given day she can be the best gymnast in the world not named “Simone Biles.”
A balance beam expert, Lee also thrives in multiple disciplines needed to secure Team USA’s gold this games.
Hezly Rivera
Resume: Olympic debut, two-time medalist at World Junior Championships
Soon to be a household name, 16-year-old Hezly Rivera is the newcomer to Team USA. The New Jersey native stunned the gymnastics world when she entered senior competition this year while she was still 15, and showed unbelievable ability for a gymnast of such a young age.
Rivera finished fifth in all-around, first on beam, fourth on uneven bars, and eighth on floor at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Considering she’s still growing into having the elite strength needed for vault and floor, Rivera’s role this games will be to stabilize and solidify Team USA on beam, where the team’s two experts in Biles and Lee have had questionable performances lately.
There is a very real chance Rivera becomes the United States’ next “great one” when Biles retires, and that campaign begins in Paris.
Alternates: Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong
Where’s Kayla DiCello and Gabby Douglas?
The stage was set to see Kayla DiCello make the jump as full team member at the Paris games after serving as an alternate at Tokyo in 2021. After a strong showing at the U.S. Championships, it seemed DiCello was a shoe-in to make the team, following a third-place finish in all-around, and narrowing losing to Simone Biles on uneven bars and floor.
Unfortunately, injury struck on the opening day of the Olympic trials, when DiCello sustained an achilles injury which forced her to remove herself from competition, and consideration for Paris.
Meanwhile for Gabby Douglas the injury bug also bit her at the worst possible time. A longstanding stalwart of Team USA, Douglas was aiming to make her return to the Olympics for Paris, but was injured in training and forced to withdraw prior to the Olympic trials.
Is there anyone Team USA needs to watch out for in Paris?
There is a major shakeup in Paris, with Russian gymnasts announcing they will not compete in Paris under a neutral flag, which is set to continue due to state-sponsored doping as well as the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
With the 2020 gold medalists not competing it opens the door for Biles and co. to be the the runaway favorites to take home gold in 2024. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a foregone conclusion. There are three major competitors to watch for in women’s gymnastics.
China
The Chinese Olympic Team has seen a precipitous fall in their dominant results from the early-2000s. As a result they’ve struggled in recent years to be a factor in the women’s team event, but a renewed focus on development has been a focus of China in the leadup to Paris, with the team firmly believing they can return to the podium and push Team USA.
Two athletes to watch are 17-year-old Qiu Qiyuan and 19-year-old Zhou Yaqin. Both medal winners at the World Championships, they are looking to anchor the squad — and have the potential to really surprise this games.
Brazil
Speaking of surprises, Brazil’s surge to become a force in women’s gymnastics after years of mediocrity is something to watch. Anchored by Rebeca Andrade, there’s a very real chance they could unseat Team USA. Andrade won gold in vault at the 2023 World Championships, beating Simone Biles — and Brazil as a whole narrowly finished second to the United States.
This is a team that can compete with the best.
Japan
Better known for success in men’s gymnastics, Japan has risen as a force in the sport in recent years. At Paris they’re expected to be an outside chance, but the leaps and bounds Japan makes between games means there’s an ever-present chance they could shock the world.
