KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Simone Biles dominated the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships over the weekend in Fort Worth, Texas, cruising to a record seventh national title.
But two local gymnasts kept alive hopes for the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics by earning a spot at the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month.
Biles totaled 119.650 points between preliminaries and Sunday’s final, winning by nearly five points over runner-up Sunisa Lee.
Biles’ teammate and training partner at World Champions Centre gymnastics, Jordan Chiles, finished third.
Lee and Chiles finished more than four points ahead of fourth-place Emma Malabuyo, positioning themselves as heavy favorites along with Biles to make the four-member Olympic team.
Two competitors from Great American Gymnastics Express in Blue Springs cracked the top 10 and advanced to the Olympic Trials, which are set for June 24-27 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
Leanne Wong, of Overland Park, finished fifth at the national championships in the all-around (100.150). She was only 0.3 points behind Malabuyo.
The top eight gymnasts automatically qualified for the Olympic Trials.
Wong finished third overall on the floor exercise and will be firmly in the mix for the fourth Olympic roster spot later this month in St. Louis.
Kara Eaker, of Grain Valley, finished 10th overall after a hiccup on the uneven parallel bars, but she was among the 18 gymnasts selected for the 2021 U.S. senior national team to compete at the Olympic Trials.
Aleah Finnegan, of Lee’s Summit, who trains with Wong and Eaker at GAGE, finished 23rd overall.