Wondering who made the U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team for Tokyo?
Look no further!
Here are the members of the U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team for Tokyo 2020:
All photos property of USA Gymnastics.
1. Simone Biles
Quick Stats:
Birthdate: 3/14/1997
Current Residence: Spring, TX
Home Gym: World Champions Centre
Coaches: Laurent & Cecile Landi
It's no surprise Simone Biles tops this list. At this point in her career she is unstoppable and clearly unbeatable. One of the most amazing things about Simone is that she continues to get better and better. Delaying the Tokyo Olympics meant Simone had to decide if she would stay on and train for an extra year. At 23 years old (last year), this was a big decision to make.
Luckily, the year of extra training proved to give her a leg up. Not only did she add 2 new skills to her arsenal of gymnastics, she also proved that age is no limit to success in gymnastics.
However, Simone hasn't always had an "easy" road. Back in 2011 she missed making the National Team by just one place and this was a wake up call for her. Marta often talked about Simone being unfocused and a little bit silly. In fact, Marta never truly saw in Simone the potential she had to be the world's greatest gymnast.
But Simone had a dream to make it to the Olympics back then and was determined to train hard and prove herself. She worked with a sport psychology consultant and focused heavily on her mental training. She took ADHD medication to help her focus in the gym. But her mindset work is really what helped her become more confident and learn how to handle the mental demands of gymnastics.
All of this work has proven helpful as Simone has been the dominating force and GOAT (greatest of all time) in gymnastics for the last 7 or so years. With Tokyo in front of her, she is ready to add more Olympic medals to her collection and we can't wait to see her do it!
2. Suni Lee
Quick Stats:
Birthdate: 3/9/2003
Current Residence: St. Paul, MN
Home Gym: Midwest Gymnastics Center
Coaches: Jess Graba & Alison Lim
Suni has been wowing us with her bars for years now and she did not disappoint at Trials. On night 2 she did not connect an element but covered it well in typical Suni fashion. Her grace and flow on bars is just mesmerizing. Not to mention her level of difficulty which is up there.
This past year has been rough for Suni with losing 2 relatives to Covid and battling an injury. Not to mention her dad having been paralyzed just a few short years ago. But luckily Sunisa is exactly where she needs to be right now! And having her dad there at both Trials and Nationals to cheer her on has been just the motivation she needed.
She's often said that she does this for her parents who have given up so much for her. Whenever she thought of giving up on her dream, she would imagine her dad and know that she had to keep going. Aside from being her father, her dad has also shown us what an unbreakable spirit he has, from getting paralyzed to being able to move his legs all while showing up with a positive attitude.
But a great bar routine and strong WHY is not the only reason Suni stands out. She's a great all-arounder and wows us with her gorgeous lines on beam and great tumbling passes on floor.
3. Jordan Chiles
Quick Stats:
Birthdate: 4/15/2001
Current Residence: Spring, TX
Home Gym: World Champions Centre
Coaches: Laurent & Cecile Landi
Jordan was four months too young to compete at Trials in 2016. But ask a spectator in the stands, all she could think is "When is my turn?" Unfortunately four years turned into five and she hit some bumps along the way.
One of the most significant was in 2018 when Jordan wanted to quit gymnastics! But now, just 3 years later she is on the US Olympic Team! Her switch to World Gymnastics Centre to train along side Simone with Cecile and Laurent as her coaches has been a big boost for her confidence, not to mention helped her motivation. Once the only elite gymnast in her gym in Washington, she now gets to train with a group of elite gymnasts. In fact, four gymnasts from World Gymnastics Centre made it to Trials!
It's no secret that confidence has been an issue for her through the years. During Championships, we saw Simone encouraging Jordan and letting her know that she belonged to be there. Having Simone as her cheerleader has certainly helped Jordan's confidence as well as a determination to make the best of 2021.
And at Trials Jordan really showed us her potential with her steady and consistent performances throughout both days of competition. Actually being consistent is her trademark. Starting from the 2020 Winter Cup in February, she has hit every single routine, going 24 for 24.
Her vibrant personality is not only a great addition to the spirit of the US Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team but is also fun to watch as a spectator. After all, this is the gymnast who did snow angels in the confetti after the Olympic Team was announced!
4. Grace McCallum
Quick Stats:
Birthdate: 10/30/2002
Current Residence: Isanti, MN
Home Gym: Twin City Twisters
Coaches: Sarah Jantzi, Mike Hunger, Sami Wozney, Steve Hafeman
Grace secured the 4th and final team spot for the US Women. Despite having a 7th place finish at Nationals, she came back at Trials and finished 4th.
Did you know that in the year leading up to the Olympic Games she broke her finger? It then got infected and she couldn't use it for months while it healed.
The 2 Gymnasts Who Snagged The Individual Spots For Tokyo 2020:
5. Jade Carey
Quick Stats:
Birthdate: 5/27/2000
Current Residence: Phoenix, AZ
Home Gym: Arizona Sunrays
Coaches: Brian Carey (her dad) & Pam Evans
Jade made it to the Olympics long before the Trials in a new selection process that allowed gymnasts to be considered for individual spots. Even still, being announced as a member of the US Olympic Team as a specialist made it more real after Sunday's final night of Trials. There was some question as to whether she would try for a spot on the Team and forfeit her Specialist spot, but that was put to rest when she announced her decision to keep her Specialist spot.
Jade has a new floor skill that she hasn't competed yet that she should be unveiling at the Olympics. She is also a huge advocate of visualization. She has said often that before every routine she imagines herself doing that routine perfectly in her mind.
6. MyKayla Skinner
Quick Stats:
Birthdate: 12/9/1996
Current Residence: Gilbert, AZ
Home Gym: Desert Lights Gymnastics
Coaches: Lisa Spini & Bruce McGehee
MyKayla is the only gymnast on this US Olympic Team to have competed in college gymnastics (University of Utah) and then made a return to elite gymnastics. The last gymnast to do this was Alicia Sacromone on the 2008 Olympic Team.
Her journey has been a long one and with getting Covid this year and having to deal with an achilles injury, there have been many bumps while waiting the extra year for the Olympics.
But if you ask me, she sure peaked at this meet and is on an upward trajectory towards the Olympics. As the oldest member of the US Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team, she is considered the co-grandma along with Simone. They are both 24 but MyKayla is a few months older.
It's no secret how disappointed MyKayla was after the 2016 Rio Olympics being named an alternate. She finished fourth in the all-around, but was not named to the five-woman Olympic team (quite ironic that this year they took the top 4 finishers at Trials).
“Being an alternate is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in gymnastics,” MyKayla has said. “The whole time I was in Rio, I probably cried every single night.”
Fortunately she used that as motivation to come back and train for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Her determination paid off as she announced over the microphone on day two of the Trials "Hey Ma, I made it!"
As a Specialist on the Olympic Team, she won't compete as a member of the four-person squad which means if Team USA wins gold, she won't be part of that winning team. Rather her scores will only be used in determining any individual medals that she might get. With a solid vault and floor routine, we might see MyKayla breaking onto the podium at Tokyo solo.
Alternates:
In addition to the 6 gymnasts above, 4 alternates were selected to the US Women's Olympic Team. They included Leanne Wong, Kara Eaker, Kayla DiCello, and Emma Malabuyo.
What do you think of this US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team? Were there any surprises for you?
Helpful Links:
- Free Resources: Get printables to help you work on your mental skills in gymnastics
- Free Growth Mindset Mini Course for Gymnasts: Learn why a growth mindset is important in gymnastics and tips to help you become a better gymnast
- Free Facebook Group for Moms of Gymnasts: Join this group to chat with other gymnastics moms and get tips for how to help your gymnast navigate through the mental ups and downs of gymnastics
