Biles Dazzles in Olympic Gymnastics Return
Simone Biles wowed the crowd in her Olympic comeback, proving she’s back to her best three years after battling the ‘twisties.’ The American gymnast, with 37 world and Olympic medals, had to pull out of several events at the Tokyo Games due to a disorienting mental block, leaving many to question if she would ever compete again. After a two-year break, she returned with her sights set on Paris.
Since Tokyo, Biles has added more world medals to her collection, introduced a new skill, and looked sharp in training. Still, no one knew quite what to expect when she entered the Bercy Arena to thunderous cheers, with A-list celebrities in the stands and millions watching globally.
And then, we saw it.
She started with an acrobatic beam routine, followed by an energetic floor program featuring one of the five skills named after her. She then executed her signature Biles II vault, opting out of attempting the new skill she’s planning on the uneven bars. Despite some challenges, including calf strapping before her floor routine and a noticeable limp afterward, Biles topped the all-around standings with a score of 59.566—a score that would have won the last three World Championships.
When her bars dismount ended her day’s routine, the joy on her face was palpable as she waved at the crowd before hugging her teammates. The 27-year-old now has the chance to win five medals here, qualifying for the team, all-around, vault, floor, and beam finals.
Sub-division two of the women’s gymnastics qualifying was the hottest ticket in town, with celebrities like rapper Snoop Dogg, actor Tom Cruise, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and singer Ariana Grande in the stands to watch Biles.
It was fitting that Biles started her day on the beam—the last apparatus she competed on at Tokyo 2020, where she took an emotional bronze after withdrawing from other finals to focus on her mental health. Her warm-up excited fans as if it were the real thing, with photographers snapping away.
Biles, however, remained unfazed. She executed her acrobatic skills on the 10cm-wide beam with confidence, nailed a triple spin, and a complex twisting dismount, scoring 14.733.
Her floor routine began with her signature Biles II—a triple-twisting double somersault. Though she stepped out of bounds, the performance was packed with high-value skills, earning her 14.600. She paused afterward, sitting on a step, raising concerns about her left ankle, but soon powered down the runway to perform the Biles II, which she introduced last year. It wasn’t perfect, but it still scored a huge 15.800.
Coach Cecile Landi mentioned Biles had “just a little pain in her calf.” There was a ripple of excitement as Biles approached the uneven bars, with hopes of becoming the only active gymnast with a skill named after her on every apparatus, achieving a gymnastics grand slam. She played it safe, scoring 14.433, which wasn’t enough for the apparatus final. She will have other chances in the team and all-around finals to attempt the new skill.
Her performance left many eager to see what’s next as she aims to add to her seven Olympic medals.
‘The Ultimate Athlete at These Games’
The USA team has been keeping the pressure off Biles this week, and she chose not to speak to reporters as she left the arena. However, many others had plenty to say about what they witnessed.
“Just to be back, it’s incredible that she’s here to write a different ending,” Matt Baker said on BBC TV. “In my eyes, she is the ultimate athlete at these Olympic Games. Those scores are just going to keep on coming because Simone Biles is back where she belongs.”
Retired gymnast Louis Smith added, “She’s really showing why she’s the best in the world at gymnastics. This amount of pressure and it’s not fazing her. She is phenomenal. She looks in great shape. She is the Usain Bolt of this sport.”
Great Britain’s Becky Downie, who competed in the sub-division before Biles, told reporters, “We probably won’t see anyone like Simone again for a long time—it’s really exciting what she brings to the sport.”
