With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris just a year away, the world of gymnastics is abuzz as Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee prepare to make their grand return.
According to NPR, the two gymnasts will headline the U.S. Classic, the final qualifying event before the national championships.
Mark your calendars for August 5th in Hoffman Estates, a Chicago suburb.
Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee Are Back
Biles, the record-breaking star of U.S. women’s gymnastics, has not competed since the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.
She made headlines when she withdrew from the team finals and the individual all-around competition.
She cited mental health challenges and grappling with the dreaded “twisties,” which messed with her spatial awareness mid-air.
The U.S. team still secured a silver medal, and Biles’ teammate, Suni Lee, snatched the individual all-around gold.
Leading up to the Tokyo Games, Biles was the face of U.S. Olympic promotion, appearing in commercials left and right.
The one-year postponement due to the pandemic took a toll, and after winning the bronze, she expressed her need to focus on self-improvement.
Biles’ decision to step back sparked a global conversation about mental health and the immense pressure on athletes.
The gymnast candidly shared that she felt an overwhelming burden on her shoulders leading up to the competition.
Since then, she has kept busy outside the gym.
Biles received the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.
In April, she announced her marriage to NFL safety Jonathan Owens.
As for Lee, her gold medal performance in Tokyo catapulted her into the limelight.
In an unconventional move, she next competed in college gymnastics at Auburn University after her Olympic triumph.
Unfortunately, her sophomore season was cut short due to a kidney issue.
Nevertheless, Lee set her sights on Paris 2024 in an April tweet.
— Sunisa lee (@sunisalee_) April 3, 2023
She boldly declared that this experience has only sharpened her focus on the future.
If both Biles and Lee make it onto the U.S. Olympic team next summer, it will mark the first time in history that the squad includes two Olympic all-around champions.
Additionally, at 26, Biles would become the oldest U.S. women’s gymnastics Olympic team member in two decades.
The U.S. Olympic team trials are slated for June next year, and the 2024 games will kick off in late July.
As the countdown begins, fans and enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the triumphant return of Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee, two extraordinary athletes.
The queens have arrived! (Simone filmed Sunisa entering with her gold medal and she said, “The queen has arrived!” Simone sounded so happy for Sunisa!)
— Joanna Cuza ✝️?? (@CuzaJoanna) June 29, 2023
I’ve been an athlete all of my life(so far).
Yet, every time I watch Simone and others do what they do, I think~~”I wish I could move like that. I have no idea what that feels like.”
They are spectacular athletes.— Memyself Andi (@Memysel86687666) June 28, 2023
