Simone Biles has made her triumphant return and is more than happy to showcase her joy.
After achieving a remarkable all-around score of 59.566, positioning herself ahead of all other competitors during the qualifying rounds at the Paris Olympics, Biles shared a celebratory video on TikTok, rapping along to Monaleo’s ‘Don Who Leo.’
‘Get off that Don Julio,’ the rap kicks off. ‘Act a foo-leo.’
‘B****, I called your mother***ing phone, that’s how you do me, ho?’
Despite mixed reactions to the lyrics, numerous fans of Biles expressed their exhilaration on Sunday.
‘I love her so much lmaooo,’ one enthusiastic fan commented.
Simone Biles from Team USA competes in the women’s gymnastics at the Bercy Arena
Biles posted a video on TikTok showing her rapping some of Monaleo’s ‘Don Who Leo’
Others noted that Biles appeared to be showing off after attracting a celebrity audience on Sunday, which included Ariana Grande and Tom Cruise.
‘She acknowledged all these celebs came to see her, but she remains true to herself, having fun and being the g*****n greatest,’ one comment read. ‘Welcome to the Simone show. I adore her. She’s always been the best in every way.’
Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team made their entrance into the Bercy Arena wearing leotards embellished with thousands of crystals, purposely designed to draw attention.
However, don’t mistake the glitter for a lack of determination.
This marks the oldest team the Americans have ever sent to the Games, and they have faced numerous challenges over the years, from personal health issues to losses in their lives. These experiences have certainly equipped them for whatever lies ahead, particularly Biles.
When the most celebrated gymnast in history felt a strain during her floor exercise warm-up on Sunday, there was no cause for alarm. Her teammates remained composed as well.
Biles took a brief retreat backstage so coach Laurent Landi could wrap her left leg, then returned to energize a team that looks just as impressive as expected.
With Biles — discomforted calf and all — achieving the highest scores on both vault and floor exercises, along with reigning Olympic champion Sunisa Lee appearing strong on the uneven bars, the U.S. finished with a total score of 172.296, reinforcing expectations that Tuesday night’s team final will likely be a crowning moment for a group embracing their ‘Redemption Era.’
‘They’re feeling happy and relieved,’ said U.S. coach Cecile Landi. ‘Day one is done, and now we move on to the team finals, all-around finals, and hopefully a few event finals.’
Biles has her ankle taped after competing on the uneven bars during the qualification round
Biles reaches during her routine on the Uneven Bars during Sunday’s qualifying round
Although the score indicated a typical performance, it was not as simple for Biles, who, as per Landi, experienced a calf strain that began a few weeks ago. She believed she had managed it until she started warming up for the floor exercise.
After a few tense moments, Biles executed yet another floor routine filled with difficulty that no other gymnast globally can compare to.
She also performed well on vault, where she slightly overshot her signature Yurchenko double pike, but it was clear her calf was strong enough to generate the speed required for executing one of the most spectacular skills in the sport.
‘Her ability to perform so well, despite apparent discomfort in her lower leg, is incredible,’ said Chellsie Memmel, co-lead of the U.S. women’s program.
It wasn’t solely Biles who contributed to the U.S. leading by over five points ahead of Italy and China through the first three subdivisions of qualifiers.
Lee, who has faced multiple kidney issues in the past 18 months leading to weight fluctuations and limited training, looked just as sharp as she did in Tokyo three years ago on bars, finishing second behind Biles in the all-around.
Chiles, a silver medalist from 2021, moved past a troubling performance in Japan by securing third place among her teammates in early qualifying. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old will miss the all-around final due to regulations limiting countries to two athletes per event, but she is poised to participate in the floor exercise final and is eager to claim the team gold that Russia won in Tokyo.
Simone Biles of Team United States competes in the floor exercise on Sunday in Paris
Jade Carey, the 2020 Olympic champion in floor exercise, appears to have secured her spot in the vault finals while coping with an illness that might have hindered her performance in floor, costing her the chance to defend her gold medal.
Hezly Rivera, at just 16, is the youngest member of Team USA by a significant margin and exhibited some nerves while competing on beam and uneven bars during her inaugural Olympic experience.
During qualifying, each team fielded four athletes per event and discarded their lowest score. This will shift to a three-up, three-count format in the finals.
With the absence of the Russian team due to the war in Ukraine, the fiercest competition is expected to come from Brazil, slated to compete later on Sunday. The Brazilian team is led by 2022 world champion Rebeca Andrade, who is arguably the best gymnast in the world after Biles over the past three years.
Italy and China also performed well, especially China’s Qui Qiyuan, who dazzled with a score of 15.066 on the uneven bars, positioning her as the nearest competitor to Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour, whose score of 15.600 was the highest of the day across all events except for Biles’ score of 15.8 on vault.
