Biles dominant on first day of U.S. championships
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[June 01, 2024]
(Reuters) - Simone Biles got her bid for a record-extending ninth
all-around title at the U.S. championships off to a sensational start on
Friday, piling up 60.45 points to take a more than three-point lead
after the first night of the competition.
Starting on vault, Biles landed her signature Yurchenko double pike to
thrill the fans in Fort Worth, Texas, and was rewarded with a 15.80 from
the judges at the meet, which will help determine the U.S. team for the
Paris Olympics.
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Simone Biles runs through a portion of her beam routine during the
second day of a two-day media event with the USA Gymnastics team ahead
of the 2024 Olympics in Katy, Texas, U.S. February 5, 2024. REUTERS/Kaylee
Greenlee Beal/File Photo |
In the second rotation Biles stuck the landing
on the uneven bars, arguably her weakest event, following that
up with an aggressive and nearly flawless performance on the
beam.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist capped the night with a
astonishing floor routine that began with a hair-raising triple
double to sit firmly in control heading into Sunday's finale.
Teenager Skye Blakely earned 15.00 points for the debut of her
thrilling new vault. She trails Biles by 3.4 points with Kayla
DiCello in third, 3.6 points behind the leader.
Biles, 27, is expected in Paris to lead the five-person U.S.
squad that will be named at the Olympic trials next month in
Minneapolis.
The second and final night of the women's championships is
Sunday.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles) [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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