Shilese Jones came into the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials with one clear objective: to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team for Paris. But her dream was shattered when on June 28, 2024, Jones injured her left knee in vault warm-ups but still went on to perform on uneven bars. It was later discovered that she had a torn ACL and meniscus, which necessitated surgery and a prolonged recovery. Now, two years later, she has set her eyes on LA2028 with one clear goal in mind: to return healthy!

“I don’t want to go through another cycle where I’m in pain, right, and having to have those ifs and worries,” Jones said, explaining why she is taking her time before returning to competition. 

The 2022 World Championships all-around silver medalist has the experience of battling through injuries to make the Olympic team. She had been involved in a car accident in January 2021, while training ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, resulting in back and left foot fractures. She was initially supposed to be on bed rest for three months, but Jones picked up training much earlier and later went to the Olympic Trials.

Her injury problems continued in the years that followed. Jones later revealed that she had been dealing with a right shoulder injury since 2022. Even with the problem, she continued competing at the highest level. She won all-around silver at the 2022 World Championships and bronze in 2023, while also helping Simone Biles and the U.S. team win gold.

The shoulder was another hurdle in 2024’s Olympic season. Jones finished second behind Simone Biles in the all-around at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic, but her existing shoulder problem flared up afterward. She withdrew from the U.S. Championships to rest the injury and focus on being ready for the Olympic Trials.

Then came another injury that ended her Olympic dream in the trials. The recovery was long and difficult. Jones underwent surgery on her knee and later required another procedure in early 2025. While recovering, she also had surgery on her right shoulder to repair a torn rotator cuff, the same shoulder that had been troubling her since 2022.

But now, her shoulder is feeling much better, while her knee is still improving, particularly its range of motion.  Those experiences have changed how Jones views her next Olympic cycle. “Obviously, there’s injuries that come along with the sport, but I want to know that I feel 100% healthy, motivated, safe and confident going into my skills,” she said. 

She hopes to return to competition in the summer of 2027, giving her a full year to rebuild before the 2028 Olympic team selection process. “I’ve battled through so much, and there’s been so many injuries,” Jones said. “The story still continues. I just want to prove myself.”

While Shilese Jones is working toward a place on the U.S. team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Games would mark her long-awaited Olympic debut. But one familiar teammate and rival is still unsure whether she will be there alongside her.

Simone Biles’ LA 2028 decision could set up another chapter with Shilese Jones

Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera have all expressed their ambitions for LA 2028, while Simone Biles has yet to make a final decision about another Olympic run. After Paris 2024, Biles left the door open when asked about competing in Los Angeles, saying, “Never say never.” The home Olympics could be tempting, but she has also been open about the physical and mental toll of another Olympic cycle.

In April 2025, Biles said she did not know whether she would be “on the apparatus or in the stands” in Los Angeles. A year later, she remained undecided, telling CNN that she was “50-50” on competing and that her mental health would be an important part of the decision.

If Biles does return and earns a place on the 2028 team, it would be her fourth Olympic appearance after competing at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. It could also set up another chapter with Jones, who has competed against Biles at some of the biggest meets in the sport and even managed to beat her in an individual event.

At the 2023 U.S. Championships, Jones won the uneven bars title with a 29.900, while Biles finished third with a 28.400. Biles took the all-around title and Jones finished second. If both make the 2028 U.S. Olympic team, their reunion would bring together teammates who have already shared a World Championships team and rivals who have pushed each other at the highest level.