SAN JOSE, CALIF. – At the mere mention of Simone Biles, Mary Lou Retton shook her head in awe. "I am so glad I'm not competing against her," Retton said. "She is the best gymnast I've ever seen in my lifetime."

That's high praise, coming from the woman who set that bar for her generation. Retton, the all-around gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics who became an American icon, was at SAP Center to watch Biles perform Friday and Sunday at the U.S. Olympic trials. Like everyone else in the sport, she is captivated by Biles' ability to make the most difficult skills in gymnastics look effortless.

Retton was among 130 retired athletes who participated in a Parade of Olympians Celebration at the arena Saturday. The invitees included several Olympians with Minnesota connections, including Coon Rapids native Rhonda Faehn, an alternate on the 1988 team, as well as former Gophers coach Fred Roethlisberger (1968) and his children, former Gophers gymnasts John (1992, '96) and Marie (alternate, 1984).

"The physicality she has, the God-gifted ability of explosiveness, her athleticism, you cannot teach that," Retton said of Biles, who has won the past four U.S. all-around titles and three consecutive world championships. "You can teach somebody to be a little bit more graceful. You can teach newer skills. But you can't teach that special innate quality Simone has."

Clearing the bars

Because the top American all-arounders are weakest on uneven bars, Martha Karolyi intended to name one bars specialist to the five-member Olympic team. The two candidates for that spot — Ashton Locklear and Madison Kocian — were tied at the top of the bars standings Friday, with identical scores of 15.750.

Karolyi said Friday that Kocian, the 2015 U.S. and world champion on bars, had an edge because of her versatility. Her bars routine also has a slightly higher start value. Sunday, Kocian earned a 15.900, topping Locklear's 15.700. Kocian was named to the team, with Locklear an alternate.

Kocian hurt her left ankle in February and missed some training time before returning to competition in June. She barely missed a beat.

"Having these extra events is probably helping my case to make the Olympic team," she said. "That's why I've been working really hard, not just on bars and beam, but also on floor and vault."