"I'm a force to be reckoned with" - US gymnast Shilese Jones hyped ahead of Olympics

Shilese Jones had to work very hard to finally get on the world stage in 2022. The 20-year-old American gymnast has been in the sport since a very young age. She has had a tough run, being the 'up and comer' and the 'underdog' in most of the competitions before 2022.

In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, the young gymnast opened up about her struggles. Given the new-found confidence from her victorious run at the 2022 World Championships, the young athlete also had a very strong message for everyone in the sport:

"I'm capable of so much more, and I just want to show everybody that I'm still here and I'm a force to be reckoned with. I’m consistent now and now a world champion. So, I'm really just believing in myself and I’ll just keep pushing harder."

Jones performs for USA at the 2022 Gymnastics World Championships (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Shilese Jones on her journey

This time last year, Shilese Jones was absolutely devastated by the loss of her beloved father, who passed away due to his long history with kidney disease. The untimely loss came after she finished one spot away from making the USA Gymnastics team as an Olympic replacement athlete. Recalling 2021, she told Olympics.com:

"I believe that things happen for a reason. Coming back from [missing Tokyo]… I always told myself, ‘No matter if I tried the first time [for the Olympics] and I don't make it like that's... That's it.’"

Owing to the very tough year, Jones was unsure of her future in gymnastics. However, at the 2022 US Classic, she made it known to everyone that her next target will be the 2024 games in Paris. She then went on to represent her country at the World Championships in Liverpool.

"This year has been full of ups and downs, and this has been my biggest goal for the last four years now. So just from the beginning, from me not wanting to come back after tour to where I'm at now, it's just... I'm unbelievably proud"

Shilese Jones wins silver at the 2022 Gymnastics World Championships (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

She should be proud indeed. Shilese Jones helped her team win gold at the Worlds. She also won two silver medals, behind two worthy opponents, at the uneven bars and the vault! Jones credited her friends and family for her victory and dedicated it to her late father.

"Having a new mindset after the tour and everybody's positive words and doing it for my dad... I dedicate this all to him"

Jones pointed out that the World Championships marked a shift in her mindset. After suffering an unbelievable loss in 2021, and almost being done with the sport, 2022 was more than kind to her, considering the sheer amount of work she put in.

"I really trust myself and my skills now. I feel like before, I kind of just did the sport just to do it, because I had the talent and everything, but I really feel like now, like I could go far with it and really just kind of setting my mind to a thing and just really driving for it every day, each and every day in the gym."

We are confident that the future holds many more victorious runs for Shilese Jones!