KITAKYUSHU – Gymnastics superstar, Simone Biles, is not competing at this week’s world championships in Japan, but a new generation are hoping to make a name for themselves in her absence.
Simone is currently performing in “Gold Across America”, a razzle-dazzle gymnastics stage show, also featuring her Tokyo Olympics teammates, Jordan Chiles, MyKayla Skinner and Grace McCallum.
Olympic all-around champion, Sunisa Lee, has also skipped the world championships to appear on TV show “Dancing with the Stars”.
But their absence has given two up-and-coming Americans a chance to stake their claim of becoming gymnastics’ next leading lights.
18-year-old Leanne Wong finished second in qualifying behind Russia’s all-around Olympic bronze-medallist, Angelina Melnikova, while 17-year-old, Kayla DiCello, was third.
2019 junior world vault champion, Kayla, said Simone was “a really big inspiration” for her.
“She’s so amazing, and she does so many cool things that a lot of people won’t try,” Kayla said.
“I just think she’s awesome.”
Simone has dominated women’s gymnastics for the past decade, winning 19 world championship golds and topping the Olympic podium four times.
But her place at the top is now in doubt after a troubled summer in which she pulled out of several events at the Tokyo Games.
Simone said she was suffering from the “twisties” – a psychological condition that renders gymnasts unable to orientate themselves in mid-air.
A survivor of sexual abuse, she also said that the Larry Nassar scandal took an overwhelming emotional toll on her.
Simone has not yet indicated when she will return to gymnastics, and only last month said she “should have quit way before Tokyo”.
But the influence she has had on the next generation is clear.
“We’ve learned so much from Simone, just watching her compete over all the years, and all the experience she’s had,” said Leanne.
“We’re finally getting to experience what she has in the past.”
Leanne was an alternate for the US Olympic team in Tokyo, but she was forced to quarantine for her entire stay after her roommate tested positive for coronavirus.
Angelina is the favourite to win the all-around world title this week in Kitakyushu, in western Japan.
Brazil’s Olympic all-around silver-medallist, Rebeca Andrade, dropped out of the overall event to save wear and tear on her body.
Instead, she is competing on the uneven bars, balance beam and vault – the event on which she claimed Olympic gold this summer.
“I’m really proud to be here,” Rebeca said after topping qualifying in vault and uneven bars.
“It’s really nice for gymnastics that there are always new girls competing. It’s awesome to be here with the new generation, the new stars of gymnastics.”
Japan’s Mai Murakami has also withdrawn from the all-around event to focus on individual apparatus.
And she also believes the stage is set for youth to take advantage.
“After the Rio Olympics, I competed at the world championships and won a gold,” said Murakami, who is contemplating retiring after the event.
“After that, I was able to win a lot of medals at world championships, so it’s a good chance for someone to win their first medal and take that next step.” – AFP, October 20, 2021
