After nationals scratch, Shilese Jones no longer in pain ahead of Olympic trials

MINNEAPOLIS — Shilese Jones is no longer feeling pain in her injured shoulder and "feels pretty good" ahead of this week's U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials, her coach Sarah Korngold said Wednesday.

Jones, who has established herself the United States' top female gymnast outside of Simone Biles, withdrew from the U.S. championships about a month ago but successfully petitioned USA Gymnastics for her spot at trials, which begin Friday. She has been dealing with a small tear in her right labrum for approximately two years, Korngold said, and growing pain ahead of nationals led her to withdraw and take a week off as a precaution.

"We've slowly been building back up into routines. So she's been doing her full routines," Korngold said Wednesday. "Obviously we don't have as many repetitions as maybe we would like, but her body's feeling good and so we still feel like we made the right decision. And we have a couple more workouts here to keep going. So that's where we're at."

Jones participated in podium training Wednesday morning but did not speak with reporters afterwards. She has won a combined six medals at the past two world championships, including all-around silver in 2022 and all-around bronze in 2023.

Korngold, who has coached the 21-year-old since 2022, said Jones has been able to manage the injury over time but felt "a lot of pain" at nationals, prompting her withdrawal. The medical staff said Jones' shoulder issue hadn't gotten structurally worse, but the concern was that pushing through the pain and inflammation could make matters worse ahead of trials. They consulted USA Gymnastics before scratching and filing their petition, Korngold added.

"She wants to compete, she wants to show people that she's earning this and not trying to like skate through," Korngold said. "We just all explained to her that you have earned it, these petition procedures are here for a reason and you meet all this criteria and those were lined up exactly for a situation like this. So in no way are we circumventing the system. This is literally why this is here."

Alicia Sacramone Quinn and Chellsie Memmel, who oversee the U.S. women's program, said they supported Jones' decision.

"It really came down to what is going to give her the best opportunity at Olympic trials to go out and make the team," said Memmel, the technical lead of the women's program. "And then if she does make the team, be able to withstand the length of training and time that goes in to competing at the Olympic Games. It was really weighing was going to give her the best opportunity to make her goals."

Korngold said that while Jones is not in pain now, the shoulder injury can have wide-ranging impacts on her performances when it flares up like it did a few weeks ago. It affects her tumbling, vaulting, back handsprings on balance beam and pirouettes on uneven bars − which has traditionally been Jones' strongest event.

Thankfully, Korngold said, the biggest issue entering this week isn't pain management but routine endurance.

"We don't have enough repetitions and because we were building up from a pretty significant rest, we couldn't just go zero to 100. We had to build back up (in) parts and halves and whatever," Korngold said. "Hopefully she's proven enough to the selection committee that she does build fitness quickly, she does get in routine shape fairly fast and we have more time (ahead of Paris)."

The Olympic women's gymnastics team will be named following the second night of competition Sunday. The Games begin July 26.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.