Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles‘s Olympic return is off to a sparkling start at Paris 2024 as the Americans competed in women’s qualfiying Sunday (28 July).
The U.S. well in front with a total team score of 172.296, followed by Italy some 5.435 points back at 166.861. The People’s Republic of China is third with a 166.628.
Reigning world silver medallists Brazil competed in the day’s final subdivision and sit fourth (166.499).
In the all-around, Biles, the 2016 gold medallist, scored 59.566 ahead 2022 world all-around champion Rebeca Andrade (57.700). Reigning champ Suni Lee was third, posting a 56.132. Jordan Chiles earned the fourth highest score at 56.065 but won’t advance to Thursday’s (1 August) all-around final due to two-per-country restrictions. Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour rounds out the top five.
Three years ago, the American withdrew from the women’s team final and four subsequent individual finals at Tokyo 2020 to prioritise her mental health as she dealt with the ‘twisties.’ That seemed like a distant memory Sunday.
Biles, 27, entered Bercy Arena to massive applause, looking relaxed as she smiled and waved to the audience.
She looked even more relaxed on the balance beam where in the span of some 79 seconds, she put on a clinic, executing a near flawless routine that included a two layout stepout series and a full-twisting double back dismount. Biles earned a 14.733 for the routine.
In the warm-up for the second rotation on the floor exercise, Biles appeared to tweek her left ankle on her Biles I (double layout half out). When she took to the mat for her competitive routine, her ankle was heavily taped.
She delivered a solid, if not bouncy, routine on the event for a 14.666.
As she came off the podium, coach Cecile Landi, a 1996 Olympian for France, asked if she was OK. Biles confirmed she was.
But the uncertainty continued through the vault warm-up where at one point she crawled nearly two-thirds of the way back to the starting position before hopping on her right leg.
Later, Biles could be seen waving to her parents, Ron and Nellie, as well as sharing a laugh and several smiles with Landi.
When it came time for competition, there was no hint of an issue as she boomed her trademark Yurchenko double pike to the rafters, needing several steps backward to control it. She earned a massive 15.800.
“She felt a little something in her calf. That’s all,” Landi told reporters afterward, adding that Biles was not thinking of leaving the competition. “Never in her mind.”
The injury, Landi explained, had popped up a few weeks ago but had subsided in the training leading to Paris.
“It felt better at the end [of competition today],” she said later. “On bars, it started to feel better.”
Biles closed out her spectacular on the uneven bars with a hit set and a 14.433, the relief pouring out through her megawatt smile. She embraced coach Laurent Landi before stopping near a scoreboard to soak in the moment.
The crowd roared, acknowledging her spectacular return. Before leaving the podium, she blew kisses and waved to her adoring fans.
The American is now set for five of six medal rounds, advancing with the team, in the all-around, and on the vault, beam and floor exercise.
“It was pretty amazing. 59.5, and four-for-four. Not perfect,” Landi assessed her pupil’s performance. “She still can improve even.”
Sunday was Andrade’s first all-around performance in compeittion since the 2023 World Championships where she finished runner-up to Biles.
She had a solid day across the four pieces, earning her top mark on the vault – a 14.900. Her only hiccup came on the uneven bars where she had to arch her back to save from going the wrong way in a handstand. Andrade still scored 14.400 on the event.
Her other scores were 14.500, balance beam; and 13.900, floor exercise. Andrade, like Biles, qualified to five finals – all but bars.