The best and brightest in American gymnastics will battle it out it one week.

The Secret U.S. Classic, taking place in Hartford, Connecticut from June 3rd to 5th, will feature former Olympic and World Champions, as well as powerful up and comers as they all fight for an opportunity to impress the the coaches with just weeks remaining before the Olympic Trials.

The field will be lead by three time World Champion Simone Biles, whose impressive 10 gold medals and 14 overall at World Championships makes her the most decorated American gymnast of all time. Barring injury, she is a lock to make the national team, but that does not mean the Secret Classic isn't important to Biles. She is looking for another gold, and her nearest competitor, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, is also in the field and is looking to put pressure on her. Both Douglas and Biles have won golds in their most recent competition, with Biles taking home the all-around championship at the Pac-Rim Championships, and Douglas taking home the gold at the American Cup. This will be the first time in 2016 that Douglas and Biles have faced off against one another.

Also in the field is Aly Raisman, a member of the 2012 "Fierce Five" gold medal winning Olympic team who also competed on last year's World Championship winning team. Raisman has struggled with consistency at times in the past two years, but has looked solid on the floor since the 2015 World Championships. She has taken home the gold medal in the floor exercise in the City of Jesolo Trophy and the Pac-Rim Championships, and is hoping to do so again at the Secret Classic and potentially become the best in the world on the floor.

The rest of the field includes Madison Kocian, Brenna DowellAshton Locklear, and MyKayla Skinner, all of whom have competed for the national team at the World Championships. Kocian also won a gold medal on the uneven bars in 2015.

15 year old Laurie Hernandez will also be participating. Hernandez, a former junior world champion, made her senior debut at the City of Jesolo Trophy, winning gold on the beam, silver on the vault, and bronze in the all-around. She was also on the gold medal winning team at the Pacific Rim Championships, and has continued to impress coaches with how quickly she's fit into the senior rotation. 

A full list of participants can be found on USA Gymnastic's web site.

Maggie Nichols, Bailie Key Not Competing

Nichols has been a star for the American team (Source: Christy Ann Linder)

Two of the biggest names who will not be competing in Hartford are Maggie Nichols and Bailie Key. Nichols, who has become a superstar in gymnastics, underwent minor knee surgery in April. While some hoped there would be an outside that she would compete, her attendance was not expected. Nichols will likely spend the next month rehabbing until the Olympic Trials, where she hopes to punch her ticket to Rio.

Bailie Key was one of the best junior gymnasts from 2012 to 2014, and looked to be on her way to be on her way to the national team when she became a senior at the end of 2014. She beat both Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman at the City of Jesolo Trophy in 2015, and finished 4th in the all-around at the P&G Championships last year. After being named a non-traveling alternate for the World Championships, however, Key has been relatively quiet. A video of her working on her uneven bars surfaced last week, and Key was among the gymnasts who attended the Women's National Team Camp. Her absence is unexplained. 

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