The first thing that stood out at TD Garden over the weekend was the giant American flag hanging over the floor.
The arena, usually home to the Celtics and Bruins, had been converted to a gym for the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, which took place Aug. 16-19. A balance beam, uneven bars and other pieces of equipment took the place of the usual parquet or ice as gymnasts from across the nation gathered for a chance to earn a national title and, more importantly, compete for spots on the team that will represent the U.S. at the 2018 World Championships in Qatar.
But despite the drama of competition and thousands of fans who filled Garden seats to watch some of the country's best athletes, the fallout from the Larry Nassarscandal that rocked the gymnastics world earlier this year hung over the event like a dark cloud.
On the men's side, the competition was a bit of a one-sided affair. Two-time Olympian Sam Mikulak won his fifthU.S. all-around gymnastics title, outscoring his closest competitor by 4.75 points and tying the record for titles in the process.
After the event, Mikulak already had his eyes set on Qatar.
"Being able to ride this [championship] going into World Championships will definitely set me off feeling a little bit more confident, and I'm just excited for what we've got as a team and what's in store for us all together," he said.
Despite Mikulak's performance, however, it was senior women who were the main event over the weekend.
There was a different energy in the Garden as fans, many of whom were young girls, screamed in admiration of the athletes, especially Simone Biles.
Biles, the five-time Olympic medalist, had the crowd in the palms of her chalk-covered hands as she sought to gain her fifth national all-around title and continue her comeback after her nearly two-year hiatus from competition.
All eyes were on Biles whenever she stepped on the floor, to see what feat she would accomplish next. She didn't disappoint, coming in first place in each of her individual events and finishing with the all-around title with a final score of 119.85.
"I didn't think coming into the events this year I would do as well as I did," she said. "I knew I was capable of it, but I kind of thought I was going to be a nervous wreck and maybe fall apart. Going into these events, I kept telling my family, 'I don't know if I'm going to be able to calm myself down the way I did before and handle the nerves.' But so far, so good."
When asked what she thought her international competitors were thinking after watching her, Biles responded with a chuckle, "I don't know, maybe that I should probably quit."
But while Biles dominated the headlines inside the arena, outside, USA Gymnastics' handling of the Nassar case continued to make news during the organization's premier event during a non-Olympic year.
On Thursday, the first day of competition, Olympians Kyla Ross and Madison Kocian spoke to "CBS This Morning," coming forward with their own stories of sexual abuse at the hands of Nassar while he was a doctor with USA Gymnastics.
Nassar will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.
Inside TD Garden, USA Gymnastics CEO Kerry Perry gave less than satisfying answers during a Q&A with reporters on Sunday.
Perry's performance on the issue has drawn mixed reviews from gymnastics community. Earlier in the week Biles, who says she is among the survivors of Nassar's abuse, was critical of Perry's handling of the situation.
One of USA Gymnastics' most vocal critics is Needham native and three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, who has been a prominent advocatefor survivors of Nassar's abuse. In March, Raisman filed a lawsuit against USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee, alleging they failed to act to stop Nassar.
Raisman was at the competition Sunday, but as a guest of TD Garden. USA Gymnastics didn't extend an invitation to her.
Speaking after the competition, Biles said she wore a mint leotard in part to stand in solidarity with survivors.
She also pushed back on claims Perry had multiple conversations with her family.
"She really hasn't talked to my family too much," Biles said. "I know we had an interaction earlier in January. But it was ... just kind of in passing through."
Now the gymnastics world will turn its attention to Qatar and the World Championships as national teams start to gear up for the 2020 Olympics. But no matter how well its teams perform, there's still no sign the clouds hovering over USA Gymnastics will clear up anytime soon.
