Simone Biles’s Olympic and World Championships participation is now in doubt, and fans are wondering who will replace her. Simone was initially scheduled to compete in the all-around final on July 29, but she has withdrawn. USA Gymnastics confirmed Biles’ withdrawal on Wednesday, and team USA will be forced to find an alternate to compete in her place. The team has five gymnasts in the competition, so it’s unclear which of them will be the replacement.
USA Gymnastics announced that Simone Biles will not be competing in the all-around finals in Tokyo, but she will compete in the floor exercise and balance beam events. The other events that Biles will not compete in include vault and uneven bars. Instead, Jade Carey will compete in those events. Carey won gold in the floor and vault competitions at the 2020 Melbourne and Doha World Cups, and will now represent Team USA in those events.
Biles’ replacement will be a surprise. The competition has been dominated by Simone Biles. She has been the most successful gymnast of all time. Her four Olympic golds have made her a legend in gymnastics, and the sport has even named four moves after her. However, she’s been open about mental health issues and has not been training in a while.
Biles will not compete in the all-around final this year, but she was still able to qualify for it. Simone Carey, Jennifer Gadirova, and Urara Ashiwaka are all potential candidates. Each of these gymnasts has shown impressive performances in qualifying, and they’re all capable of placing high in the competition.
