Simone Biles returned to the Olympics in Paris 2024 with a spectacular display in the women’s all-around qualifiers.
The Bercy Arena in Paris welcomed Biles with a standing ovation. And the American gymnast quickly reminded everyone why she is a legend in artistic gymnastics.
If three years ago Simone Biles withdrew from the team final and four apparatus finals due to an episode of ‘twisties’ (a spatial awareness problem in the air that is very dangerous for gymnasts), this Sunday at Paris 2024, that seemed like a very distant episode.
Simone Biles started with a clinic on the balance beam, executing an almost flawless routine that earned her a score of 14.733.
During the warm-up for the second rotation on the floor exercise, it seemed that Biles twisted her left ankle while completing a Biles I (double back tuck with a half twist).
The American returned to the mat for her competitive routine with a strong bandage, but delivered a solid routine, although with some landing issues, for a score of 14.666.
As she left, coach Cécile Landi, an Olympian for France in Atlanta 1996, asked her if she was okay, and Biles confirmed that she could continue.
However, uncertainty continued during the warm-up for vault, where she returned to her crawling position for a good part of the way before continuing to vault only on her right leg.
But when it was time to compete, there was no trace of that problem, and she astonished the arena with a big Yurchenko double tuck that she had to control on landing with a couple of steps. The score was an incredible 15.800.
“She felt a little something in her calf. That’s all,” Landi explains to reporters, adding that Biles was not thinking about withdrawing from the competition. “It doesn’t cross her mind.”
The injury, Landi added, appeared a few weeks ago, but the pain had decreased in the last training sessions leading up to Paris 2024.
“Toward the end [of the competition], she was feeling better. She was better on the bars,” she specifies.
Biles closed her performance on the uneven bars with a score of 14.433 and a gesture of relief. After hugging her coach Laurent Landi, she stopped by the scoreboard to savor the moment.
The audience roared, celebrating her spectacular return.
“It was quite incredible. 59.566 (points) and four out of four,” says Landi. “Not perfect. Although she can do better.”
Overall, the United States is in the lead with 172.296 points, followed by Italy in second with 166.861. The People’s Republic of China is third with 166.628.
Brazil, the current world runners-up led by Rebeca Andrade, the world champion in the all-around, will close the day in subdivision 5.
In the all-around, Simone Biles finished ahead of the current champion, her teammate Suni Lee (56.132). Jordan Chiles is third with 56.065, but will miss the final due to the limit of two gymnasts per country.