Biles' Star Mentee Esponda Stuns at Worlds Floor

Reese Esponda, a gymnast trained at Simone Biles' World Champions Centre, has qualified in first place for the floor final at the world gymnastics championships. Biles, widely considered the Greatest of All Time, has been a vocal supporter of Esponda, offering encouragement and recognizing her exceptional talent. Esponda's journey to this point includes overcoming a significant challenge: a mandatory change to her floor routine just days before the competition due to a skill reclassification.

Originally from Helena, Montana, Esponda moved to train at WCC in 2024. Despite recent coaching changes at the facility and the departure of other prominent gymnasts, Esponda has thrived under her new coaches, Patrick Kiens and Daymon Jones. Her success follows a breakout season that included winning the floor title at the Jesolo Cup in March, despite sustaining a foot injury shortly after. She made a strong comeback, winning the all-around at the U.S. Classic and securing a fourth-place finish at the U.S. championships, again excelling on floor.

The reclassification of one of her tumbling skills significantly impacted her routine's start value, causing concern for her medal prospects. However, Esponda demonstrated resilience, adapting her routine and still achieving the highest qualifying score. The floor final is scheduled for Sunday, October 25th, where Esponda will aim to leverage her powerful performance and positive mindset, a trait frequently admired by her mentor, Simone Biles.