Through late July and early August, the women of the USA Olympic teams were all over social media. From bronze medal rugby player Ilona Maher, to gold medal runner Sha’Carri Richardson, to gold medal swimmer Katie Ledecky, these powerful competitors shined in their respective fields. However, most of the hype in American households came from the “Golden Girls” of Women’s Gymnastics.

The U.S. won 126 medals in total during the 2024 Paris Olympics: the Women’s Gymnastics team was responsible for six of them. Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey secured bronze medals for their routines, while Simone Biles won two gold medals and one silver medal for her all-around, vault, and floor exercise respectively. Chiles, Rivera, Carey, Biles, and Sunisa, the final five competitors, won the gold medal for the entire team. So, how did the members earn the success they have today?

Hezly Rivera

Hezly Rivera was born in Hackensack, New Jersey in 2008, making her the youngest athlete in the 2024 Olympics at  16 years old. She began her training in 2013 and moved to Texas in 2020 to train under former gymnast Valeri Liukin. Her junior career began when she placed third in the all-around at the 2022 Winter Cup, which allowed her to help USA win gold at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge. She then went on to compete in the U.S. Classic, National Championships, Winter Cup, and Junior World Championships, where she won silver for her floor exercise. Rivera became a senior competitor at the 2024 Winter Cup, made her international debut at the City of Jesolo Trophy, and qualified for the Olympic Trials after placing sixth in the all-around at the National Championships. She was selected to represent the United States due to placing eighth on floor exercise, fifth in the all-around, fourth on uneven bars, and tying for first on balance beam. At the official event, she did not compete in the team final but she competed on the uneven bars and balance beam.

Jade Carey

Jade Carey was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 2000 and began gymnastics training at her parents gym two years later. She became an elite gymnast after her performance at the Junior Olympics Nationals in 2016 and made her senior debut at the American Classic in 2017. For the next few years, she participated in competitions such as the National Championships, World Championships, U.S. Classic, and Baku and Doha World Cups, competing against her future teammates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Simone Biles. In 2021, she finished eleventh on balance beam, eighth on uneven bars and floor exercise, sixth in the all-around, and fourth on vault at the National Championships, qualifying her for the Olympic Trials. During the 2020 Olympics, she was awarded the gold medal for her floor exercise. Carey did many other events following her win and qualified for the Olympic Trials once more after placing seventh in the all-around and third on vault at the National Championships. She placed eighth on uneven bars, sixth on the balance beam, fourth in the all-around, second on floor exercise, and first on vault; she was chosen to represent the United States as a result. During the 2024 Olympics, she earned bronze in the vault final.

Sunisa Lee

Sunisa (Suni) Lee was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2003 and was registered for gymnastics training at six years old. She made her junior debut at the 2016 U.S. Classic and made her international senior debut at the City of Jesolo Trophy almost three years after. She went on to compete in the U.S. Classic and U.S. Championships, even after recently injuring her ankle and sustaining a hairline fracture, and her performance qualified her for the World Championships in 2019. She was selected for the Olympic Trials due to winning silver for the all-around and balance beam and gold for the uneven bars at the 2021 U.S. Championships. At the 2020 Olympics, she secured gold for her all-around and bronze for her uneven bars. Lee left elite gymnastics and competed two seasons as an Auburn University gymnast before returning in 2023. She qualified for the Olympic Trials a second time after winning silver for her balance beam at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. It was decided she would represent the United States after she placed seventh in the floor exercise, fifth on the balance beam, second in the all-around, and first on uneven bars. At the 2024 Olympics, she won two bronze medals for her uneven bars and all-around.

Jordan Chiles

Jordan Chiles was born in Tualatin, Oregon in 2001, but grew up in Vancouver, Washington before moving to Spring, Texas in 2019 to train alongside Simone Biles. She made her junior debut at the 2013 American Classic and made her international debut at the 2014 City of Jesolo Trophy. Four years later after her first elite competition, she made her senior debut at the American Classic. She then competed in the U.S. Classic, National Championships, Stuttgart World Cup, and became the first women’s all-around champion at the Winter Cup. After finishing third on the all-around and vault during the National Championships, she was selected for the Olympic Trials and went on to compete in the 2020 Olympics, where the team won a silver medal. In the years following, Chiles participated in the World Championships, Pan American Games, and the U.S. Classic. She placed fifth in the all-around and second on uneven bars at the National Championships, qualifying her for the Olympic Trials once more. She was selected for the 2024 Olympics due to placing third in the all-around, uneven bars, and floor exercise, as well as placing second on vault. During the event, she initially won a bronze medal for her floor exercise, but it was later revoked and given to gymnast Ana Barbosu after the Romanian Gymnastics Federation claimed that the inquiry her coach submitted was made four seconds past the one minute deadline. USA Gymnastics is currently pursuing the return of her medal.

Simone Biles

Simone Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1997, but grew up in Spring, Texas with her maternal grandfather. She became a junior elite at the 2011 American Classic and became a senior at the 2013 American Cup. She went international at the City of Jesolo Trophy the same year. She then participated in events such as the World Championships and the U.S. Classic. Despite controversy she faced for medicating her ADHD, she was picked to represent the United States at the 2016 Olympics and won four gold medals for her all-around, vault, and floor exercise, along with a bronze medal for her uneven bars. She returned to gymnastics in 2018 at the U.S. Classic and competed in many other championships until she was selected for the 2020 Olympics due to placing first in the Olympic Trials. During the event, she decided not to participate in four of the five individual finals, but participated in the balance beam final and won bronze. She cited her issues as stemming from mental health issues and “the twisties,” a phenomenon where gymnasts lose control in the air during twists. Although Biles was heavily criticized for her decision, it did not stop her from continuing her career in 2023. She landed a gold medal in every category at the 2024 National Championships, easily qualifying her for the Olympic Trials. She was selected for a third Olympics when she placed fourth on balance beam, second on uneven bars, and first in the all-around and floor exercise. At the 2024 Olympics, she won two gold medals for her all-around and vault, along with a silver medal for her floor exercise. Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.

The accomplishments made by these women will be celebrated for years to come as their careers continue. I can’t wait to see who will represent our country in the next Summer Olympics, whether they’re newcomers or fan favorites.