Olympic gymnastics hopefuls DiCello and Jones scratch from U.S. trials due to injuries

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Olympic gymnastics hopefuls Kayla DiCello and Shilese Jones scratched from the first night of the U.S. Olympic trials on Friday due to injury.

The 20-year-old DiCello, an alternate on the 2020 Olympic team, failed to complete her vault, instead opting to flip over once and land safely on her back. She was immediately tended to by medical staff before being carried off the competition floor.

Jones, a six-time world championship medalist, tweaked her left knee during vault warmups on Friday.

She passed on the vault but returned a short time later and managed to complete her uneven bars routine, where she scored an excellent 14.625 despite doing a somewhat watered down set.

The 21-year-old — the best all-around gymnast in the U.S. not named Simone Biles when fully healthy — gingerly made her way off the podium and met with medical staff before being removed from the final two rotations.

DiCello, who is from Boyds, Maryland, won the Winter Cup earlier this year and was considered a strong contender to join the five-woman team led by Simone Biles that will head to Paris next month as heavy favorites to win gold.

Injuries are testing the depth of one of the marquee programs of the U.S. Olympic movement.

Skye Blakely, runner-up to Biles at the U.S. Championships earlier this month, ruptured her right Achilles tendon in training on Wednesday, ending the 19-year-old’s shot at making the team.

Blakely, who was on crutches, stood in the middle of the floor during a break between rotations and received long ovation after being introduced.