Shilese Jones

Quick Facts

• Specialty: Uneven bars

Biographical Information

Shilese Jones is an American artistic gymnast and a member of the U.S. national gymnastics team. Jones was introduced to Gymnastics at the age of four by her parents, who noticed her natural talent for flipping around the house. She first rose to prominence when she became a junior elite gymnast at the age of 12 in 2014. Notably, she made history when she stood on the first all-Black medal podium alongside Konnor McClain and Jordan Chiles at the U.S. Championships in 2022.

Olympic Highlights

Though Shilese Jones was set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she withdrew on opening night after suffering an injury during warm-up.

World Championship Highlights

Jones has been a standout performer at the world championships. In 2022, she won silver medals in the uneven bars and all-around events and helped the U.S. team secure gold in Liverpool. 

In 2023, she continued her strong performances by winning bronze medals in the all-around and uneven bars events and again contributed to the U.S. team's gold medal in Antwerp.

U.S. Championship Highlights

Jones showcased her talents at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in California in 2023 and the OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Tampa in 2022. She also earned medals at the U.S. Classic in 2022 and at the Winter Cup in Indianapolis in 2021.

Early Career 

In 2014, Shilese Jones qualified as a junior elite gymnast at the age of 12. She made her debut at the American Classic and competed in the U.S. Classic, showcasing her skills in the all-around, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise events. Jones also competed in the National Championships, marking the beginning of her competitive gymnastics journey.

In 2015, Jones continued to build on her early successes. She competed in the U.S. Classic, where she participated in the all-around, vault and floor exercise events. Her performances at the National Championships further established her as a promising young gymnast. The next year, Jones competed again in the U.S. Classic, demonstrating her growing skills and consistency across multiple events. This year was critical in her development as she continued to gain experience on the national stage.

By 2017, she had solidified her reputation as a talented junior gymnast. Competing in the U.S. Classic, she showcased her abilities in various events, continuing to build her competitive résumé. In 2018, Jones transitioned to senior-level competition. She made her senior debut at the American Classic and participated in the U.S. Classic, competing in multiple gymnastics events. Her breakthrough came at the Pan American Championships in Lima, where she contributed to the U.S. team's gold medal victory.

At the City of Jesolo Trophy in 2019, Jones played a pivotal role in leading her team to a gold medal. Additionally, she was a member of the U.S. team for the Pan American Games.In 2021, Jones excelled at the Winter Cup in Indianapolis, in all-around, uneven bars and floor exercise events, earning several medals. At the U.S. Classic, Jones recorded the third-highest single vault score.

In 2022, Jones competed at the City of Jesolo Trophy with the U.S. team where they secured a gold medal. At the World Challenge Cup in Paris, she won gold on the uneven bars and silver on the floor exercise, finishing fifth on the balance beam. Her most notable accomplishments came at the world championships in Liverpool, where she and the U.S. team won the gold medal, and Jones won individual silver medals in the all-around and uneven bars. 

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2023 – gold (Team - Women), bronze (Individual All-Around - Women, Uneven Bars - Women), 5th (Floor Exercise - Women), 7th (Beam - Women)
• Years of participation: Beam - Women 2022, 2023; Floor Exercise - Women 2022, 2023; Individual All-Around - Women 2022, 2023; Team - Women 2022, 2023; Uneven Bars - Women 2022, 2023
• Medals: 6 (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
  • Gold – 2023 (Team - Women); 2022 (Team - Women)
  • Silver – 2022 (Individual All-Around - Women, Uneven Bars - Women)
  • Bronze – 2023 (Individual All-Around - Women, Uneven Bars - Women)