Fort Worth, Texas: Simone Biles punched her ticket to the U.S. Olympic Trials by securing her ninth all-around championship yesterday at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.
Biles recorded a two-day overall score of 119.750, beating runner-up Skye Blakely by nearly six points. Blakely posted a 113.850. Kayla DiCello came in third with a 110.800.
With the victory, the 27-year-old Biles now has nine all-around championships, a national record.
"It was just getting out there and getting comfortable and confident in my gymnastics and hopefully going to Olympic trials and making that next step towards Paris," Biles told NBC. "I couldn't be more proud of how I'm doing this time of the year, just getting that confidence."
Not only did Biles finish with the highest total score, but she also posted the best two-day scores for all four events.
Sunisa Lee (110.650) and Jordan Chiles (110.400) rounded out the top five.
The U.S. Olympic Trials will be held from June 27-30 in Minneapolis. Biles picked up a silver medal and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games -- which were held in 2021 due to COVID-19 -- after collecting four golds during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. — REUTERS