With Biles on the sideline – literally – a new generation of gymnasts, led by Pease, stepped up.
Pease soared to the top of the all-around standings, powered by top-three finishes on all four events.
“[I feel] really good,” she said. “I’m really happy to be here.”
It was a bit of a comeback victory for Pease, as Rose, 17, went into the final rotation with a three-and-a-half tenth lead, having started her night with a bang, sticking her one-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko for a 13.800. She added a 13.950 on the uneven bars before putting up a 13.150 on the balance beam.
But Pease, just 16, passed her in the final rotation as she boomed a clean Yurchenko double full for a 14.050 score. Rose’s clean but lower-difficulty floor exercise earned a 13.300, putting her second overall.
In her first elite competition since last summer’s Olympic Trials, Roberson, who finished her freshman season at the University of Arkansas in April, was powerful and solid all night. Her highlight came in the form of a nearly wobble-free routine on the balance beam and a dynamic floor exercise performance that had the backing of the crowd.
Biles’ Olympic teammate in Paris, Hezly Rivera, struggled in her opening two rotations, coming up short on her uneven bars dismount and falling off during her acrobatic series on the beam. The errors cost her, as she finished in a tie for 12th place.
The event was the final qualifier for next month’s U.S. Championships, set for New Orleans from 7–10 August. Senior women’s athletes scoring a 52.000 or better in the all-around earned automatic qualification to the event.
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