The 2024 Olympic Games are drawing near, and five U.S. gymnasts just bought their tickets to Paris.
After four days of trials, the women’s gymnastics team was officially revealed on June 30. Led by Olympic veteran Simone Biles, the power-packed team is ready to live up to their legacy.
Alongside Biles is Tokyo’s reigning all-around champion Suni Lee and two more returning Tokyo team members, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey. Newcomer Hezly Rivera rounds out the team and is more than ready to compete at her first Olympic Games.
Keep scrolling to get to know the 2024 U.S. Women’s Olympics Gymnastics team:
Simone Biles
Biles, 27, is the oldest gymnast to compete in the games in 72 years. The gymnast came onto the scene in 2016 at the Rio Games, where she earned gold for her performances in the all-around, team, vault and floor exercises. She has since become a household name, winning five gold medals at the 2019 World Championships and coining five moves with her name across vault, balance beam and floor.
Despite earning a spot on the team, Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Though opening up about her mental health and Olympic experience was “empowering so many people,” Biles struggled still with feelings of failure.
“I wish I could sit here and tell you it was glorious,” she told Vanity Fair in her February 2024 cover story. “After 2020, it was kind of depressing until I started therapy and got help.”
Despite her ups and downs, Biles “knew it wasn’t done after Tokyo.” Now, she’s back on the mat and stronger than ever, a mental health advocate and the most-decorated gymnast of all time.
Related: Simone Biles Through the Years: From Gymnastics GOAT to Blushing Bride
Suni Lee
The reigning all-around champion might seem like a shoo-in for the team, but after taking a break from the sport in 2023, Lee wasn’t sure she’d ever compete again.
The 20-year-old announced via X in April 2023 that she had been facing health issues related to her kidneys that prevented her from competing.
“For my safety, the medical team did not clear me to train and compete over the last few weeks,” she wrote. “I am blessed and thankful to be working with the best specialized medical team to treat and manage my diagnosis. My focus at this time is my health and recovery.”
She made a comeback in August 2023, with her eyes set on making the 2024 team once again. She took to Instagram to announce her return to the sport.
“This comeback was so much more than my return to elite gymnastics,” she wrote. “It was me proving to myself that I can overcome hard things, and to hopefully inspire others to never let life’s setbacks stop you from going after your dreams.”
Known for her excellence on the uneven bars, Lee is one of four Tokyo veterans set to compete for the U.S.
Jordan Chiles
The former UCLA star and decorated athlete is back on the scene and ready for redemption. A longtime friend and teammate of Biles, the 23-year-old gymnast previously won a silver medal at the Olympics in Tokyo.
Ahead of the 2024 competition, Chiles opened up to Us exclusively about how she prepares.
“We don’t want to be a hundred percent now because we do have three months out until the actual Olympic Games to where we [need to] give our a hundred percent then,” she told Us. “So I would say right now about 75, 80 percent [now and] that extra 20 percent will definitely be there in Paris for sure.”
Along with Biles, Chiles has been open about prioritizing mental wellness as an athlete.
“I think for me now is just being able to help my teammates in a way to make sure they’re on the right track or whatever, and making sure that they feel good within themselves.”
Related: Olympic Athletes: Where Are They Now?
Jade Carey
Carey, 24, is the reigning champion on floor exercise, earning gold at the Tokyo Games, where she competed individually. After her stint as an Olympian, she went on to compete at the collegiate level for Oregon State.
Known for her excellence on floor and vault, Carey has shown steady improvement since returning to the elite level and is sure to deliver high scores in Paris. The daughter of two decorated gymnasts, Carey is still coached by her father, who was there to support her in Tokyo. Now a junior at Oregon State, Carey told NBC the Olympics mean “everything” to her.
“I think they’ve been saying, we all have some sort of redemption that we want, so it’s just incredible to be sitting here today and truly enjoying the gymnastics that I’m doing and having fun with all these girls. And I’m excited for Paris,” she said.
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Hezly Rivera
Rivera is not your average high school student. The youngest member of this year’s team and the 2023 U.S. junior champion, the New Jersey native is starting off her elite career with a bang. Competing for the first time at the senior level, what Hezly lacks in experience she makes up for in skill.
Rivera’s father, whom she describes as her “rock,” can always be found cheering her on from the stands.
“He always pushes me to be my best, but he’s also comforting when things get rough,” Rivera told reporters at the trials.
