Simone Biles inspired the United States to victory in the women’s team gymnastics event as the first leg of what she has billed a “redemption tour” began with a fifth Olympic gold.
For the world’s most decorated gymnast it is a first Olympic gold since Rio 2016 after she pulled out of several events in Tokyo three years ago with the ‘twisties’ – a disorientating mental block.
Fellow sporting greats like Serena Williams and Michael Phelps were on their feet in the packed Bercy Arena as Biles’ stunning Taylor Swift-inspired floor routine sealed gold for the USA, ahead of Italy in silver and Brazil in bronze. Great Britain came an agonising fourth.
Biles, 27, had made a sparkling return to the Olympic stage in Sunday’s qualifying event, topping the all-around standings, booking her spot in three apparatus finals and also helping to send the United States into the team final as top qualifiers.
And on Tuesday she carried on where she had left off as the Americans reclaimed the title they had lost to the Russian Olympic Committee at Tokyo 2020 in a final where Biles pulled out after the first rotation to protect her mental and physical health.
That led to her withdrawing from several other finals before returning to take bronze on the beam. She then took two years out before returning last year with Paris firmly in her sights and with even more skills in her repertoire.
Arriving to a deafening reception from a crowd full of anticipation, Biles played it safe in the first rotation on vault with the ‘easier’ of her routines, rather than the harder one she did in qualifying.
She then delivered excellent bars and beam routines before a crowd-pleasing floor display that sealed gold – and brought the whole arena to their feet as she and her team-mates jumped up and down in celebration.
Biles’ left calf was taped up as it was in qualifying but there was no hint of that bothering her as she and team-mates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera posted a total of 171.296 to complete a convincing victory over Italy on 165.494.
Receiving her medal on top of the podium, eight years after she was last there, Biles smiled and waved to the crowd.
With four more finals still to come, it may not be the last time she does that.
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