Simone Biles leads US women’s gymnastics team to Olympic gold
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Simone Biles and her American teammates clinched the gold medal in the women's team gymnastics event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, marking a stunning comeback for the 27-year-old star who has challenged the limits of skill and endurance in the sport.
The group, which consisted of former Olympians Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey, earned a total of 171 points, surpassing Italy with 165 points for the silver medal and Brazil with 164 points for the bronze. Great Britain came close to winning a medal, falling short by less than 0.3 points.
The American gold medal was won by Biles three years later following her withdrawal from the same competition at the Tokyo Olympics due to a challenging case of the "twisties", which caused a disruption between her mind and body, resulting in her inability to execute her routines.
"I began my therapy session this morning and I expressed to my therapist that I felt peaceful and prepared," Biles shared during Tuesday evening. "After completing my vault routine, I felt a sense of relief. I thought to myself, 'yes, we can do this'."
Recognized for executing incredibly difficult moves, such as a triple-twisting double backflip tumbling pass that wowed the crowd in Paris, Biles has become a strong voice for mental health and a prominent figure in the Olympic world. With Tuesday's team gold win, she now has a total of eight medals from various games, five of which are gold.
The gymnast from Texas did four routines without any major mistakes, although she did have a few small deductions for some unsteady moments. Instead of trying her hardest moves, she chose to focus on being consistent on certain apparatuses. Despite her struggles with vault in Tokyo, she was able to successfully pull off a Cheng skill, which is worth fewer points than her newest signature move, the Yurchenko double pike.
The crowd of famous American stars, such as actress Natalie Portman and former swimmer Michael Phelps, provided strong support and encouragement for her during her performance.
Biles stepped away from gymnastics for two years before making a comeback last year. During her time off, she worked with a therapist and concentrated on different aspects of her life, like getting married to Jonathan Owens, an American football player. A documentary about her, now on Netflix, has its initial episodes out this month. In it, she talks about feeling scared to do some of her most impressive tricks following the Tokyo Olympics.
The US gymnastics team has made changes to its culture and adjusted its rules around media to give Biles and her teammates more privacy before the Olympics. They are now limiting their interactions with reporters and allowing Biles to choose which events she wants to participate in. Three of the four teammates with Biles in Paris were also in Tokyo, where they won silver after she withdrew. Lee and Chiles, two of these teammates, are already looking ahead to the 2024 games as a chance for redemption.
Italy won its first medal in women's team gymnastics in almost 100 years, making up for their disappointing fourth place finish in Tokyo. Brazil managed to secure the bronze medal in the last round, with Rebeca Andrade's impressive performance on the vault contributing to their success.
Biles, Lee, and Andrade will be competing in the individual all-around final on Thursday. This will be the first time that both Biles, the champion in 2016, and Lee, the champion in 2020, will face off in the same event. Andrade, who won silver in Tokyo, will also be competing in this highly anticipated final.
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