1 of 6 | Simone Biles (C) secured the all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, with Shilese Jones (L) and Leanne Wong placing second and third, respectively, in San Jose, Calif. Photo by John G. Mabanglo/EPA-EFE
Aug. 28 (UPI) — Following her historic eighth all-around title win at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Simone Biles plans to keep her future goals, including those for the 2024 Summer Games, confidential to maintain a sense of secrecy.
“I prefer to keep [future goals] personal, so that I have a clear target in mind,” Biles stated during the NBC Sports broadcast in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday.
“I believe it’s better this way. I’m taking a different approach this year compared to the past. So far, I think it’s working. I will keep it mysterious.”
Biles broke Alfred Jochim’s 90-year record of seven all-around titles at the women’s event, which took place at SAP Center from Friday to Sunday.
This competition marked Biles’ first major appearance since her eventful participation in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, during which she took a well-documented break for mental health reasons.
With aspirations of capturing multiple gold medals, Biles embarked on her “secretive” strategy in an effort to manage the pressure, as she mentioned during the NBC Sports broadcast.
“I find that people can be quite nosy sometimes,” when asked about her strategy, Biles responded. “When it comes to personal goals, I believe it’s okay to keep them to ourselves to avoid potential criticism. … At my age, I simply want peace. One step at a time.”
When asked about her plans for Paris 2024, Biles replied with a simple “not yet.”
The seven-time Olympic medalist achieved the highest scores on the balance beam, floor exercise, and vault, securing her eighth all-around title and surpassing Jochim’s record from 1933. She previously claimed all-around titles in 2021, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.
“After doing it for so long, I no longer focus on numbers but rather on my performance,” Biles explained.
Biles finished the competition with a total score of 118.450, a 3.9-point lead over second-place Shilese Jones. Leanne Wong came in third. Skye Blakely and Tokyo team silver medalist Jordan Chiles rounded out the Top 5 in the all-around standings.
Biles scored 30.555 on the vault, 30.2 on the floor, and 29.3 on the balance beam. She earned 28.4 on the uneven bars, 1.5 points behind Jones, who won that event.
Suni Lee, who clinched three medals in Tokyo, finished third in the beam event with a score of 27.85.
In the men’s all-around competition, Asher Hong claimed the title with a score of 170.93. Khoi Young (169.455) and Fred Richard (169.311) finished second and third, respectively.
Hong secured victory in the vault, placed second on still rings, and fifth on parallel bars. Young finished second on the vault and pommel horse. Richard achieved the highest score on the high bar. Paul Juda obtained the highest score on the floor exercise and came in fifth on the high bar.
Biles, 26, made her comeback to competitive gymnastics earlier this month by winning first place at the Core Hydration Classic in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and qualifying for the national championships.
“It’s truly incredible,” Biles expressed on Sunday. “Everyone here believes in me. My teammates, coaches, family, everyone. I just need to start believing in myself more.”
Biles is now expected to participate in the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships, scheduled from September 30 to October 8 in Antwerp, Belgium. Biles holds the record for the most world championships won by any gymnast, with 19 titles.
The U.S. Olympic team trials will take place in June 2024 in Minneapolis.
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