As Simone Biles took a moment to give herself a few last quiet words of encouragement near the balance beam before making her much-anticipated return to competition, the atmosphere in the Bercy Arena was electrifying. The excitement was palpable every time her name was mentioned, with an array of celebrities, from Tom Cruise to Ariana Grande, filling the stands and appearing on the screens. All focus was on Biles, and she was acutely aware of it.
However, the competition draw was not in favor of Biles and her US teammates, as they were required to begin on the balance beam, an apparatus known for its unpredictability and the tension it brings. In gymnastics, failing to manage nerves can lead to falls.
Yet, Biles navigated through her opening routine on the beam with grace and precision, showing no signs of doubt. This initial performance set the stage for a remarkable return to Olympic competition, culminating in her finishing her subdivision of women’s qualification as the top all-around qualifier with a score of 59.566. This marks the highest international all-around score in the Olympic quad, and with three more subdivisions to come, no one appeared capable of surpassing her score.
In addition to her all-around success, Biles leads the standings in vault, ranks second on the balance beam, and holds the top position on the floor. Even in uneven bars, where she isn’t as dominant, Biles ranks eighth.
Despite her impressive showing, Biles concluded her first day of competition with concerns regarding a calf injury, which became evident as she appeared to struggle with discomfort during her time on the competition floor. Biles’ coach, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, later disclosed that Biles was dealing with “just a little something in her calf,” a pain that had resurfaced during the competition after being an issue weeks prior. When asked about her ability to compete, Landi assured, “Never in her mind, no.”
Throughout the second subdivision of five, the US team faced various potential challenges. Just before Biles began her floor exercise, reigning Olympic floor champion Jade Carey performed a modified routine and stumbled on her final tumbling pass. Following Carey, Biles maintained her composure and delivered an outstanding floor routine.
Although Biles had removed the triple twisting double back somersault – known as the Biles II – from her routine last year, she executed it flawlessly this time, even slightly overpowering the landing and smiling as she took a small step out of bounds. While there’s room for improvement, Biles’ floor exercise score of 14.6 has only been equaled internationally by Andrade in this Olympic cycle.
In gymnastics, things can easily veer off course, especially when injuries are a factor, and there was immediate concern as Biles prepared for the vault. After one attempt, she crawled and limped back to the starting area. A moment later, she attempted her Yurchenko Double Pike vault – the Biles II – but landed short, dropping to her knees.
Despite the evident pain, with her ankle and calf heavily taped, Biles maintained a positive demeanor, smiling and chatting with her teammates, reassuring everyone of her well-being. She then sprinted down the runway and executed a remarkable Yurchenko double pike vault, marking her debut in this event during Olympic competition. Biles’ second vault, the Cheng, was impressive, resulting in an average vault score of 15.3, surpassing all other women in this Olympic cycle who have not crossed the 15-point mark.
After a composed and straightforward uneven bars routine, Biles finally allowed herself to connect with the 20,000-strong audience, most of whom were there to witness her performance. She waved to both sides of the stadium with a chuckle as her redemption journey kicked off with an outstanding display.
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Alongside Biles, three other members of the US Tokyo 2020 team competed on Sunday: Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey, each on their own journeys of redemption after winning silver three years ago. Lee, the reigning women’s all-around champion from Tokyo 2020, stood out. At 21, she’s faced numerous challenges, including navigating college gymnastics and dealing with a serious kidney illness last year.
At one point, it seemed doubtful she would even qualify for Paris, but Lee made a timely comeback, earning a score of 56.132, placing her second behind Biles and among the highest all-around qualifiers. Lee is also a contender for medals on the floor exercise and uneven bars. Chiles currently ranks third, only 0.067 behind Lee, but only two gymnasts per country can advance to the all-around final.
The first subdivision featured another poignant return. Over the past three years, Great Britain’s Becky Downie has coped with the heartbreaking loss of her younger brother, who died just before she was due to compete in the Tokyo Olympic trials. Additionally, she has faced backlash after exposing abuse within gymnastics, suffered several major injuries, and was left off the Tokyo Olympic team. Nevertheless, she remained steadfast in her goal of becoming an Olympic medallist.
Early on Sunday, Downie took to the mats and flawlessly executed her difficult bars routine, achieving a score of 14.666. As the 32-year-old stepped off the competition podium, her tears of relief and joy were evident. Awaiting the results, she hopes to qualify for the uneven bars finals, as the Great Britain women’s team looks ahead to their own goal of qualifying for the team finals.
