Simone Biles qualifies for her third Olympics as Hazley Rivera takes fifth on the team

MINNEAPOLIS – Simone Biles has officially punched her ticket to her third Olympic Games.

She will be joined in Paris this summer by Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hazley Rivera.

The team was selected at the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials in Minneapolis on Sunday after two days of competition. With four returning Tokyo Olympians, it is the oldest and most decorated U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team in history.

Biles, 27, will be the oldest female American gymnast to compete in the Olympics in 72 years.

He secured an automatic spot on the Paris team by finishing first in the all-around with Lee and Chiles. The balance beam was dangerous, with all three top finishers falling, including reigning world champion Biles.

Biles credited “being in a good mental state” with helping her qualify for her third Olympics.

Jocelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong were named as substitutes. Wong was also an alternate for the Tokyo Games.

Stream every moment and every medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock, starting with the Opening Ceremony on July 26 at 12pm ET.

Alicia Sacramone Quinn, a strategic leader at USA Gymnastics, said the selection committee, which she heads, “had an eye” on Rivera and sees her as someone who can represent the United States at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“It was a difficult decision,” he said of choosing the team. All the athletes did their job; They did what they needed to do.”

While there were some mistakes during Sunday’s tests, Quinn said, “It’s better here than in Paris.”

Lee, the Tokyo Olympics all-around champion, won on uneven bars with a new advanced routine. He flawlessly combined daring release moves including Nabiwa and Bhardwaj.

Her stellar performance came while she was battling two types of kidney disease.

“It was a very difficult, incredible journey,” he told NBC’s Hoda Kotb. “There were times when I thought about quitting and just gave up because I was so sick and it was so hard to stay motivated, watching everyone get better and I couldn’t even go back to the gym, and constantly pushing myself. I was kind of doubting myself. But once I had people around me who lifted me up and supported me, I knew it was something I wanted.”

Chiles’ dreams of returning to sports were in jeopardy after a fall on beam, but she sealed her fate by dancing to Beyoncé on the floor like a pro.

On floor, Carey, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, opened the trials with a high-energy floor routine. At the trials she was second, bested only by Biles.

Teammates are hoping for redemption in Paris, which means something different for each gymnast.

“We all have some redemption that we want so for all four of us (Tokyo Olympians), it’s really exciting to be back with Hazel,” Carey said.

Carey faltered in the vault final in Tokyo, tripping on the runway and missing the podium. Biles withdrew from all event finals but the beam at those Games because she was dealing with “twisties”, which caused a loss of spatial awareness midway through.

“This is definitely our redemption tour,” Biles said. “I think we all have a lot more to give and our Tokyo performance wasn’t the best. We weren’t in the best circumstances either, but I think a lot of weight is on our shoulders to go out there and prove that The weight is that we are better athletes than you.”

She told Kotb: “I think we all have a little bit more to give, I know we’re more mature, I think our gymnastics is better, I think we’re better at what we’re doing.” A little more confident. That’s why it was hilarious.”

Lee said Sunday that he was hoping for team gold, which he did not get in Tokyo. The Russian Olympic Committee won the gold medal and the United States won the silver medal.

riviera, Joe, who turns 16 on June 4, will be the only teenager on the Giants’ team, but she proved she can handle Olympic-level pressure with a clutch routine on the balance beam.

Despite seeing Lee perform unnaturally fiercely on beam right in front of her, Rivera improved her routine and tied Biles for the two-day average at the event.

“My mentality was I had nothing to lose, so I just went out there and did my best, gave it my all, the most important thing,” she said.

Rivera said she was surprised when her name was called for the team.

She said, “I was very surprised to hear my name, but I have been working for this my whole life.”

The three leading runners were injured before Friday’s competition, knocking world champions Skye Blakely, Shilize Jones and Kayla DiCello out of Olympic contention. Blakely and DiCello both ruptured Achilles tendons. The nature of Jones’ injury remains unknown.

On Friday, Biles led the all-around standings with a 2.5-point lead over Biles and Lee rounded out the top three.

Stream every moment and every medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock, starting with the Opening Ceremony on July 26 at 12pm ET.