The U.S. Olympic men’s and women’s gymnastics trials will recombine next year, to be held in St. Louis, after they were split up for the Rio Games.
St. Louis hosts the meet June 25-28 ahead of the Tokyo Games that open July 24. The trials will be three weeks after the annual U.S. Championships. Both the men’s and women’s Olympic teams will be named in St. Louis. Specific selection procedures are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
New USA Gymnastics CEO and president Li Li Leung said Tuesday that she is “pretty confident” that USA Gymnastics will remain the sport’s national governing body to put on trials. Leung, appointed in February, came on after U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said in November that the USOC was seeking to revoke USA Gymnastics’ recognition.
In February, Leung said she has already spoken to Hirshland and that “both sides are committed to working closely to resolve the decertification request.” Hirshland called Leung “an accomplished professional” in a statement and expressed optimism about the direction of the organization under Leung’s leadership.
In 2016, the men’s trials were held in St. Louis in June in conjunction with the women’s national championships. The women’s trials were held two weeks later in San Jose, Calif.
“We think it’s the best of both worlds, to have them competing together,” Leung said Tuesday.
Most of the 2016 U.S. Olympians have announced retirements and/or not competed since the Rio Games. The only actively competing returnees are Simone Biles and Sam Mikulak, who won their fifth U.S. all-around titles last year.
Gymnastics trials will again overlap with track and field trials (June 19-28) and swimming trials (June 21-28).
This season’s U.S. Gymnastics Championships are in Kansas City from Aug. 8-11. The world championships are in Stuttgart, Germany, from Oct. 4-13.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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2016: St. Louis (men) and San Jose, Calif. (women)
2012: San Jose
2008: Philadelphia
2004: Anaheim
1996 and 2000: Boston
1992: Baltimore
1988: Salt Lake City
1984 and 1980: Jacksonville, Fla.
1976: Los Angeles (women) and University Park, Pa. (men)
1972: Des Plaines, Ill. (men) and Long Beach, Calif. (women)
1968: Long Beach, Calif. (women) and Los Angeles (men)
1964: Kings Point, N.Y. (women) and San Fernando, Calif. (men)
1960: West Point, N.Y.
