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Biles Leads Band of Olympic Newcomers to Tokyo


Members of the U.S. Women's Olympic Gymnastic Team, from left, Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Grace McCallum plus individual members MyKayla Skinner and Jade Carey wave after the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, in St. Louis, June 27, 2021.
Members of the U.S. Women's Olympic Gymnastic Team, from left, Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Grace McCallum plus individual members MyKayla Skinner and Jade Carey wave after the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, in St. Louis, June 27, 2021.

Asked to sum up her friendship with training partner and four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles doesn't mince words: "She's my ride-or-die."

With the Olympic trials wrapped up on Sunday, the 20-year-old is one of five Olympic newcomers set to compete for the highly decorated U.S. gymnastics team in Tokyo this summer, with 2016 veteran Biles, 24, one of the most decorated competitors in the history of the sport, leading the way.

Chiles, who ranked third overall during the two-day competition at St. Louis, Missouri, nearly quit the sport in 2018 and said she credits Biles with helping her to this point in her career.

FILE - Simone Biles, left, and Jordan Chiles look over a rotation schedule during practice for the senior women's competition at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, in Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 11, 2019.
FILE - Simone Biles, left, and Jordan Chiles look over a rotation schedule during practice for the senior women's competition at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, in Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 11, 2019.

"I thank her 24/7 and it's something that I wish a lot of people had that same experience," said Chiles. "She will forever be my partner in crime."

Sunisa Lee, 18, who came in second behind Biles in the all-around at the nationals and finished with a higher score on the second night, and 18-year-old Grace McCallum rounded out the four-person team.

MyKayla Skinner, 24, who was a designated replacement athlete in 2016 but did not compete, picked up the individual quota spot after Jade Carey, 21, previously qualified for an individual spot through World Cup performances.

As the only returning member of the Rio Olympics' gold medal-winning "Final Five," Biles is well aware of the outsized responsibility she has on the team.

"I'm old, I feel like I have a lot of wisdom," said Biles, "I've been here before, so I just want to keep everybody cool, calm and collected."

The U.S. will begin their Olympic title defense July 25, in Tokyo's Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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