Gymnast Shilese Jones pulls out of U.S. Olympic trials with leg injury

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Shilese Jones competes on the uneven bars at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials on Friday, June 28, 2024 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Shilese Jones is helped off the mat after an injury during warms up before the start of the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials on Friday, June 28, 2024 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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Shilese Jones competes on the uneven bars at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials on Friday, June 28, 2024 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gymnast Shilese Jones pulled out of the U.S. Olympic trials, one day after injuring her left knee while training on the vault.

USA Gymnastics said Jones was pulled from the meet after being evaluated on Saturday.

The 21-year-old was among the leading contenders to join Simone Biles on the five-woman team that will head to Paris as heavy favorites to win gold.

One awkward landing on the vault changed all that.

Jones was warming up on the event before Friday night’s competition when her left leg bent awkwardly as her feet hit the mat. She was helped off the podium but later returned for the uneven bars, her best event.

The Seattle-area native scored a 14.675 — the top score of the night — but gingerly made her way off the podium and did not compete on balance beam or floor exercise.

Jones is one of three women who saw their hopes of reaching the Olympics end with injuries this week. Skye Blakely, who finished a strong second to Biles at the U.S. Championships last month, tore the Achilles tendon in her right leg during training on Wednesday.

Kayla DiCello, a 2020 Olympic alternate, ruptured her left Achilles tendon on vault on Friday.

“While this is not the result I envisioned, there’s so much to be proud of,” DiCello wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday, adding “this is not the end of my story.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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