Olympics 2024: Star USA gymnast Simone Biles fights through calf pain, makes stunning comeback in Paris
Simone Biles
The US women's gymnastics team on Sunday (Jul 28) entered the team final as the favourites for gold at the 2024 Paris Games, with Simone Biles making a stunning comeback. The 27-year-old was joined on the team by reigning Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera.
Rivera, 16, is the 2023 US junior champion.
Tom Cruise, Lady Gaga, John Legend and Ariana Grande were among the celebrities in attendance at Bercy Arena to witness the return of Biles, who powered through left calf pain to begin her multiple-medal bid in Paris.
Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medallist competing in her third Games, appeared to be bothered by the pain but she was all smiles at the end of the first day of competition at the Paris Games.
Biles was seen limping at times during the qualifying competition. She also looked in pain whilewalkingafter she had powered the US to the top of the team standings, but US coach Cecile Landi was optimistic for Biles and told reporters: "Just a little pain in her calf."
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Landi said there was never any doubt that Biles would not continue. The coach had previously said that the US superstar aggravated a minor injury which she'd been dealing with for a couple of weeks.
The pain didn't stop her from soaring through her signature Yurchenko double pike vault, which is now known as the Biles II. She even did it with a big step back on landing andearned a 9.4 for execution for a total of 15.800 points.
The US star left the competition area after performing on her first apparatus, the balance beam, however, she returned to complete her routines on the floor exercise, vault and uneven bars. In the last three apparatus, she had her left leg and ankle tightly strapped.
At the end of their session, the USA were assured of a team finals berth with a score of 172.296 points.
The US star earned global recognition when won four gold medals in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but her gold dreams were shattered at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when she withdrew from multiple events as she battled the disorientating mental block that gymnasts call "twisties". She was lauded for speaking about mental health struggles. She had won a silver and bronze at the Tokyo Games.
Now the USA team will fight to regain gold after settling for silver in Japan in 2021.
The women's team final follows on Tuesday (Jul 30) at 12:15 pm ET.
(With inputs from agencies)