Simone Biles can’t be tamed on day 1 of 2021 US Gymnastics Championships

Simone Biles’ power seems too great even for the confines of the four gymnastics apparatus she dominates meet after meet.

Donning a regal purple leotard, complete with her signature crystal goat on the arm, Biles sailed to a 59.550 all-around total on night one of senior women’s competition at the 2021 US Gymnastics Championships on Friday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Biles easily would’ve surpassed a 60-point four-score total had it not been for minor mistakes on beam – where she had a major balance check during her leap sequence – and floor – where she went out of bounds on three of her four passes, incurring a -0.500 neutral deduction in the process.

Despite what could be chalked up as her superhuman abilities simply being too great for the measly, mortal apparatus she competes on, Biles still finished the night in first on vault (15.550 average for her Cheng and Amanar), beam (14.350), and floor (14.650).

The 24-year-old also redeemed herself on bars after falling on the event at the 2021 GK Classic two weeks ago. Her 14.750 tonight has her placed second, only behind Sunisa Lee, who earned a whopping 15.300.

Lee had an impressive night as well, punctuated by her dad, John, being able to watch her live for the first time since being partially paralyzed in an accident just before World Championships in 2019.

“Before my bar routine, I was trying to look for him, and it was like I was getting nervous because I [didn’t] know where they [were],” Lee said, reflecting on her first routine of the night. “Then, right before I went, I saw them, and I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to make everything.'”

The 18-year-old looked like a completely different gymnast compared to her Classics performance, making her return to the all-around after being restricted to just bars and beam at that meet and Winter Cup earlier this year due to an ankle injury. In addition to her world-class uneven bars set, her 57.350 all-around total has her in second heading into day two of competition on Sunday.

After she fell on both bars and beam two weeks ago, one can’t help but wonder if the difference for Lee tonight was having her support system cheering her on in person.

“Before the competition, [dad] came to our hotel, and he was just saying to forget about everything and just do what I do best.”

Notes & Quotes from Day 1 of Senior Women’s Competition at 2021 U.S. Championships

• Laurie Hernandez scratched from the meet during the first rotation, shortly after a wobbly beam routine where she had a major balance check on her punch front and opted for a watered down dismount. USA Gymnastics shared the following statement with GymNow, saying, “In consultation with USAG’s medical personnel, the decision was made to withdraw Laurie from the rest of tonight’s events. She and her team will reassess and determine her status for Sunday at a later time.” Hernandez later confirmed on Twitter that she hyperextended her knee doing her double pike dismount during warmups.
• Jordan Chiles wasn’t perfect on night one, but she still hit 4-for-4 to finish the day in third with a 56.900. She’ll look to clean up beam – where she had a major balance check – and floor on Sunday. In post-meet interviews, the UCLA commit started off by apologizing for her lack of voice saying it was due to her “screaming all day.” The World Champions gymnast also performed two vaults to start the meet, but she made clear afterwards that they were just a test and actually a “sneak peek” of what’s to come.
• Jade Carey did not go for the laid-out triple double on floor tonight, potentially due to fatigue as she finished the night on floor. The highlight routine of her night came on bars where she hit her 5.8 D-score routine, earning a solid 8.150 in her execution. She currently sits in fourth in the all-around with a 55.450.
• Grace McCallum and Kayla DiCello both had major errors on night one, each suffering two falls. They sit in eighth and ninth, respectively, heading into day two. On a positive note, McCallum is in podium contention on beam (14.200 – currently second) and DiCello on floor (14.050 – currently third).
• Chellsie Memmel competed bars for the first time in her comeback tonight. Despite coming off the apparatus on her clear hip 1/2, the 32-year-old was ecstatic with her routine, saying she hasn’t actually hit a full bar routine yet. She also said the crowd – who roared almost as loud for her as they did Biles – was “phenomenal.” Memmel’s top score of the night came on vault, where she upgraded to a beautiful double-twisting Yurchenko to earn a 14.750.
• Morgan Hurd announced earlier in the day that she would be limiting herself to beam (10.300) and floor (12.600) despite showing routines on vault and bars during podium training. She plans to compete all-around at Olympic Trials but wants to play it safe this week after having two surgeries on her right elbow earlier this year.
• Riley McCusker is limited to bars this week due to an ankle injury she sustained at Classics, but she made the most of her only routine tonight, scoring a 14.650 (6.2/8.450) on the event. The third-best bars score of the night behind Lee and Biles, she’s in position to podium on Sunday in addition to having another chance to show why she could be the best choice for the U.S. women’s lone individual spot that will be awarded at trials.

You can relive day one of the 2021 U.S. Championships by reading our live blog from the senior women’s session here. Click here for full results.

All of the senior women’s routines can be watched on USA Gymnastics’ YouTube Channel.

Junior and senior women’s competition at the 2021 U.S. Championships continues Sunday. National titles will be awarded and national teams will be named. The junior women will be back in action on FloGymnastics at 1:30 p.m. ET. The senior women’s competition will conclude on NBCSN at 7 p.m. ET. Click here for the full schedule, how to watch, and more.

PHOTOS: Olympic contenders take the stage on night one of senior women’s competition at the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships

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