4 biggest storylines from 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships

Exciting moments unfolded at the 2024 U.S. Xfinity Gymnastics Championships. Elite gymnasts set out to make the national team and earn a trip to the U.S. Olympic Gymnastic Trials to continue the pursuit of the 2024 Olympics. The contenders made their case for why they should go to Paris.

Some gymnasts stumbled but picked themselves back up to deliver solid routines. Others were on fire from start to finish. Gymnasts who were already in the conversation for the Olympics increased their stock, while other hopefuls pushed their names into the conversation.

Following the Championships, the national teams for artistic gymnastics were announced. The Women's National Team can be found here. The Men's National Team can be found here. Throughout the thrilling weekend of competition, here are four big storylines that took shape.

4. Olympic alternates Kayla DiCello and Donnell Whittenburg make statements

It’s been a long road for Donnell Whittenburg, the oldest gymnast in the competition. The 29-year-old was an Olympic alternate in 2016. He has made five World Championship appearances and was on the bronze-medal-winning Worlds team in 2014. He also won a World bronze on vault in 2015. Whittenburg had a gutsy performance at the Championships. Notably, he placed seventh in the all-around, first on vault, fourth on still rings and seventh on floor exercise. His Olympic hopes were alive before, but he’s in a better position now.

2020 Olympic alternate Kayla DiCello is taking another shot at making an Olympic team. She went to the World Championships in 2021 and 2022. She took a leap forward at the U.S. Championships. DiCello placed third in the all-around and second on floor exercise. She finished .150 points ahead of reigning Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee. DiCello and Whittenburg are not locks for the 2024 Olympics, but they’re prepared to keep fighting at the Olympic Trials.

3. Skye Blakely and Khoi Young increase their stock for first Olympics

An athlete who stood out on the women’s side was Skye Blakely. A two-time World Champion with the U.S. team, Blakely has shown her worth on the international stage. Over the weekend at the U.S. Championships, Blakely placed second in the all-around and on vault and third on balance beam and floor. Only Simone Biles had a higher all-around score over the two days of competition. If Blakely performs like this again at the Olympic Trials, she’ll make it hard for Team USA to leave her home.

On the men’s side, reigning NCAA all-around champion Khoi Young took a big step forward in his Olympic hopes. The three-time World medalist was a part of the World Championships team that brought home a bronze medal in 2023, the first World medal for the U.S. men’s artistic gymnastics team since 2014. Despite dealing with tendinitis in his knee, Young was a top performer at the Championships. He placed third in the all-around, second on the parallel bars, fourth on high bar and sixth on floor. It's clear that he would contribute heavily to the Olympic team.

2. Brody Malone makes emphatic comeback from brutal injury

“Count Brody Malone out, and you are not very informed.” These were the words of analyst Tim Daggett during the Day 1 broadcast of the senior men’s competition just as 2020 Olympic team member Brody Malone finished his pommel horse routine. Malone suffered a brutal career-threatening knee injury last spring. He arrived at the 2024 U.S. Championships with something to prove, and he proved it. Malone placed first in the competition, earning his third national title.

Not only is Malone back, but he’s as good as ever. In fact, he might be even better because while he recovered, he spent a lot of extra time training on events that don’t require much leg use, such as the pommel horse. Malone looked comfortable and confident on each apparatus, despite his knee. He has two World Championship medals on the high bar, and one gold and one bronze. Malone looks to bring home an Olympic medal this summer. Before that, he’ll participate in the Olympic Trials to solidify a place on the U.S. team.

1. Simone Biles wins ninth all-around national title

It was no surprise that two-time Olympian Simone Biles won her ninth all-around national title, but it’s still something to talk about. She isn’t just the best in the United States or the best in the world. With 37 Olympic and World Championship medals, she is the most decorated gymnast in history and is widely considered the greatest of all time. No one in the world has done what she does, and she just showed that again at the U.S. Championships.

Not only did Biles win the all-around, but she pulled off a sweep of all four events: balance beam, vault, floor exercise, and uneven bars. She’s always been a top performer on beam, vault, and floor, but in the later years of her career, she’s become a top performer on bars, too. Next up for Biles is the Olympic Trials, but it should also be no surprise that she’s considered a lock for the Olympic team. In Paris, Biles will contend for her second Olympic all-around title.

The road to Paris continues with the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials taking place from June 27-30.