Simone Biles seizes lead on Day 1 of US Olympic Trials ahead of Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee despite wobbly fifth-place performance on balance beam

The best gymnast of her generation didn’t perform perfectly on Day 1 of the U.S. Olympic Qualifiers in Minneapolis, but she was still good enough to take first place on Saturday evening, Day 2.

Simone Biles narrowly missed the balance beam and narrowly escaped with a fifth-place finish in the event after nearly falling at several points in her routine.

Regardless, Biles is now four rotations away from a third trip to the Olympics.

The list of candidates who want to go to Paris with her is getting thinner.

Though not at her unparalleled best, Biles had little trouble sprinting to the lead at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Friday. Her all-around score of 58.900 puts her well ahead of close friend Jordan Chiles and in position to secure an automatic spot on the five-woman team if she finds herself in the same position when the trials conclude on Sunday.

Sunisa Lee competes in the floor exercise on Day 1 of the U.S. Olympic Qualifiers in Minneapolis

Jordan Chiles celebrates competing in the floor exercise on Day 1 of the Olympic Trials

Behind Biles, however, everything is still uncertain after top contenders Shilese Jones and Kayla DiCello were injured.

DiCello, a 2020 Olympic reserve member, tore her Achilles tendon in her right foot while stepping on the vault board. Jones, a six-time world champion, twisted her knee while warming up before the jump. She resumed her uneven bars routine before skipping the balance beam and floor exercise. Her status for Sunday’s final is uncertain.

The injuries — particularly those to Jones, who is considered healthy as a lock — may have opened the door for some Olympic veterans to join the conversation.

Chiles, who helped the Americans win silver in Tokyo, appears to be getting into shape just in time. She finished in the top six in all four events, a tricky area given injuries slowed her training earlier in the year, appearing to hurt her chances of an Olympic return.

Sunisa Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion who has mainly struggled with kidney problems over the past two years, took third place with a few excellent sets on the uneven bars and the balance beam in front of a home crowd.

That includes Jade Carey, the reigning Olympic floor exercise champion who finished fourth.

Biles, like he has been for the past 11 years, is on his own.

The 27-year-old seven-time Olympic medalist dreams of a return to the Games after a turbulent stint in Tokyo three years ago, during which she withdrew from finals several times to focus on her mental health. This year, she has looked better than ever.

Simone Biles falters on the balance beam during the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials

Friday night was an exception, at least by Biles’ standards. She became visibly frustrated during an unusually sloppy balance beam routine and swore shortly after completing her dismount. Her score of 13.650 was only fifth out of 13 competitors at an event where she is a four-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist.

Biles also stepped outside the boundaries of her floor exercise, a danger given the force she generated during tumbling passes that have redefined the possibilities of her sport. She ended on a high by performing her signature Yurchenko Double Pike jump, which earned a standing ovation. Her score of 15.975 was by far the highest of the evening at an event and gave her enough breathing room heading into Sunday.

Not that she needed it. Biles could have started planning a trip to France this summer long ago.

Biles performed flawlessly on the uneven bars, where she finished second

Jones, the top American gymnast who was not named Biles when healthy, hoped to join her.

That probably ended before the competition even officially started. The 21-year-old Jones – who was already nursing a mildly torn labrum in her right shoulder – had to be helped off the floor after landing awkwardly on the mat while warming up for the jump.

She left briefly, but returned to be introduced. She skipped the vault in the first rotation, but returned to glide through the uneven bars, her best event.

While Jones posted an excellent 14.625, even during a somewhat watered-down routine, she gingerly left the stage, chatting with medical staff for a few minutes before pulling herself out of her final two rotations on the balance beam and floor exercises.

Simone Biles competes on the uneven bars on Day 1 of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Minneapolis

Like Jones, DiCello was firmly in the mix when she arrived at Target Center.

DiCello left the University of Florida after her freshman year to return to Maryland and pursue the Olympics. She won the Winter Cup early that year, but appeared to injure her right foot when she hit the springboard while vaulting.

DiCello saved her original move and only did a back tuck, landing safely on the mat to protect herself. She was in tears as she was carried off the floor.

The elimination of Jones and DiCello came two days after Skye Blakely, a close second to Biles at the US Championships earlier this month, ruptured her right Achilles tendon during training. With that, the 19-year-old’s hopes of a place in the team were dashed, three years after she tore a ligament in her elbow during the first night of the Olympic qualifiers.

USA Gymnastics honored Blakely by inducting her between rotations. Blakely stood with crutches in her left hand and waved to the crowd with tears streaming down her face during a long and warm ovation.