Simone Biles made her long-anticipated return to the women’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, where she is in pursuit of a fifth Olympic gold medal for the United States, and dispel memories of her abrupt withdrawal from the event at the Tokyo games.
A poised Biles began on the vault and soared high through the air as she performed the Cheng to earn 14.900 points, the highest score on the apparatus during the first rotation.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all-time, made a dazzling comeback on the Olympic stage on Sunday when she propelled the U.S. to the top of the team qualifying standings. The American also topped the all-around qualifying standings as well as for the floor exercise and vault apparatus finals.
Biles is set to compete on all four apparatus in the team final alongside teammate Jordan Chiles, who recorded a solid 14.400 points on the vault.
Sunisa Lee, who won the all around title in Tokyo, will appear on uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Jade Carey, the reigning Olympic floor champion, would normally have been on the apparatus instead of Lee but the 24-year-old struggled in her qualifying performance as she was feeling ill. On the vault, Carey recorded a solid 14.800.
The 27-year-old Biles is competing in her third Olympics after she unexpectedly pulled out from the team final at the Tokyo Games as she was suffering from the “twisties”, a condition involving temporary loss of spatial awareness experienced by gymnasts while performing high-difficulty elements.
Biles also withdrew from the all-around and a number of apparatus finals in Tokyo, raising questions about whether she would ever set foot in an Olympic arena again.
Reuters.
