Katelyn Ohashi once defeated Simone Biles and then dipped. At 14, she won a U.S. junior all-around title, and at 15, she took the American Cup by beating Biles. But after 2013, shoulder surgery and a string of injuries, including a fractured back, kept her away from elite meets. Thirteen years later, as she chased a spot for the LA Olympics, her U.S. championship bid hit a wall. A failed inquiry ended her automatic qualification hopes. That one call took away her clearest shot at the U.S. Championships, the main stage where Olympic hopefuls prove they belong.

To qualify automatically, the 29-year-old needed 26.60 points combined at Classic on her two events: balance beam and floor exercise. She started with a strong 13.2 for her balance beam, hitting all the right marks with her acrobatic elements and a near-perfect dismount. Her team asked the judges to review the beam score, hoping for more. Instead, the mark dropped, and with it, her automatic qualifying chance. However, she missed out on qualification after initially receiving another 13.3 in her floor exercise routine. With such a close scenario, Ohashi sent it for inquiry.

“I feel like I had a really good season. It’s funny—when we finished the floor routine, I was like, “Oh man, I didn’t get credit for my turn, and that would’ve bumped me up two-tenths,” she said after the event. “But at the end of the day, I’m so proud of everything I’ve done this year.” Unfortunately, she further revealed that the score, in fact, went down to 13.2. “We filed an inquiry, and my score went down,” Ohashi laughed, reflecting on the downgraded score. “But you have to gamble, right?”

Ohashi has been through hell and back in the last 13 years. Doctors once said she might never compete again. Still, she returned, first at UCLA, then now, chasing LA 2028. This time, a single inquiry stood between her and the next step.

After leaving UCLA with two national championships, followed by years of activism, she announced her return in June this year. The journey back has been an uphill one. Her two-event total in Hartford jumped to 26.400, up 1.750 from the American Classic. But that four-tenth gap from the qualifying mark came down to the inquiry call. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. I feel like I had a really solid meet,” she said. While Ohashi missed out on automatic qualification, she can still petition to appear at the August U.S. Championships.

Katelyn Ohashi Could Petition For The US Championships To Push Her LA Olympics Hopes

The 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships are scheduled from August 6 to 9, 2026, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The event gives the country’s top gymnasts a chance to shine and stay in the LA 2028 conversation. For Ohashi, the urgency is even greater because of her age.

At 29, she joked about feeling like a “senior citizen.” By LA 2028, she will be 31. The earlier she proves herself, the better it is for her selection. And considering she is returning from a long layoff, Ohashi needs to prove that she belongs at this level. While the competition is not make-or-break, it will make her path to the Olympics easier.

After missing out on the automatic score, she can still petition to appear at the championships. But it will be out of her control. Her place in the field will be up to the Selection Committee. Earlier, the Selection Committee approved her petition to compete at the U.S. Classic despite missing earlier qualifiers. Now, her fate rests on their next decision.