Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles made a triumphant return to gymnastics after a two-year hiatus, dominating the US Classic on Saturday in her first competition since the Tokyo Olympics.

Biles, a 19-time world champion, electrified a sellout crowd in suburban Chicago with a stunning performance, receiving an all-around judges' total score of 59.100 points.

"It felt really good, especially after everything that has happened over the past year," said Biles, who was married earlier this year.

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"I got back out here and I did what I was training (to do) so I'm very happy with the result."

The meet was the last chance to qualify for the US nationals in three weeks at San Jose, California, and Biles is also hoping to compete for a title in Antwerp in October at the World Championships.

Biles used the US Classic as her comeback meet in 2018 after a lengthy break following her starring role at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which included gold in all-around, vault, floor and team.

While Biles has not announced if she will be making a bid to compete at next year's Paris Olympics, her superb comeback spectacle at the Classic at age 26 could be a first stride in that direction.

"We're still in the working steps," Biles said when asked about the Paris Games. "My main goal was this and then championships and after that we'll look on to worlds and then we'll see.

"So far it's heading in the right direction but I still have to work on myself. I'm still going to do my therapy. I'm going to put myself first."

Biles struggled at the Games in Japan in 2021 with mental health issues and the "twisties" -- a disorienting feeling while in mid-air that leaves gymnasts at greater injury risk when landing.

She was affected early in the Olympic team competition, pulled out of the all-around plus the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise disciplines before taking bronze on the balance beam.

"I always kind of knew (I'd return) as soon as everything happened in Tokyo," she said. "This time I'm doing it for me.

"I worked a lot on myself and I believe in myself a little bit more. It's just coming back out here and starting those first steps again."

Biles and her issues in Tokyo put a new emphasis on mental health struggles for elite athletes. She still faces them but with cheering supporters yelling for joy at her every routine, she knows she's not doing so alone.

"Everyone that was cheering -- made posters, all of that in the crowd -- it just made my heart melt that they still believe in me," Biles said.

"It means the world because after everything that transpired in Tokyo, I worked on myself a lot," Biles said. "I still do therapy weekly and it has just been so exciting to come out here and have the confidence I had before.

"It means the world because I feel like I lost a part of that sometimes, so to come back out here and do what I did tonight and have that support from the fans and everybody watching, I just couldn't thank them enough."

Biles began on the uneven bars, where her strong performance received a score of 14.000 points, third-best overall.

She followed by going first on balance beam and delivering a spectacular 14.800, the meet's top score.

Biles went last in rotation three on floor exercise and drew cheers during and after every tumbling run, her flips and landings on incredible passes bringing a roar at the finish of an effort that was rewarded with a meet-best 14.900&nbsp;points.

She finished on vault and&nbsp;unleashed another epic performance, soaring high and landing well -- showing no signs of rust from the long layoff in earning a meet-best 15.400 score.

Leanne Wong, 19, finished second, five points off the pace on 54.100, with 17-year-old Joscelyn Roberson third on 54.050.

Biles elected not to perform some riskier moves in her return routines as part of her overall comeback strategy.

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Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles made a triumphant return to gymnastics after a two-year hiatus, dominating the US Classic on Saturday in her first competition since the Tokyo Olympics.

Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles made a triumphant return to gymnastics after a two-year hiatus, dominating the US Classic on Saturday in her first competition since the Tokyo Olympics. Biles, a 19-time world champion, electrified a sellout crowd in suburban Chicago with a stunning performance, receiving an all-around judges' total score of 59.100 points. "It felt really good, especially after everything that has happened over the past year," said Biles, who was married earlier this year. Also Read: Aditi Gopichand scripts history, gives India its maiden individual gold at World Archery Championships "I got back out here and I did what I was training (to do) so I'm very happy with the result." The meet was the last chance to qualify for the US nationals in three weeks at San Jose, California, and Biles is also hoping to compete for a title in Antwerp in October at the World Championships. Biles used the US Classic as her comeback meet in 2018 after a lengthy break following her starring role at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which included gold in all-around, vault, floor and team. While Biles has not announced if she will be making a bid to compete at next year's Paris Olympics, her superb comeback spectacle at the Classic at age 26 could be a first stride in that direction. "We're still in the working steps," Biles said when asked about the Paris Games. "My main goal was this and then championships and after that we'll look on to worlds and then we'll see. "So far it's heading in the right direction but I still have to work on myself. I'm still going to do my therapy. I'm going to put myself first." Biles struggled at the Games in Japan in 2021 with mental health issues and the "twisties" -- a disorienting feeling while in mid-air that leaves gymnasts at greater injury risk when landing. She was affected early in the Olympic team competition, pulled out of the all-around plus the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise disciplines before taking bronze on the balance beam. "I always kind of knew (I'd return) as soon as everything happened in Tokyo," she said. "This time I'm doing it for me. "I worked a lot on myself and I believe in myself a little bit more. It's just coming back out here and starting those first steps again." Biles and her issues in Tokyo put a new emphasis on mental health struggles for elite athletes. She still faces them but with cheering supporters yelling for joy at her every routine, she knows she's not doing so alone. "Everyone that was cheering -- made posters, all of that in the crowd -- it just made my heart melt that they still believe in me," Biles said. "It means the world because after everything that transpired in Tokyo, I worked on myself a lot," Biles said. "I still do therapy weekly and it has just been so exciting to come out here and have the confidence I had before. "It means the world because I feel like I lost a part of that sometimes, so to come back out here and do what I did tonight and have that support from the fans and everybody watching, I just couldn't thank them enough." Biles began on the uneven bars, where her strong performance received a score of 14.000 points, third-best overall. She followed by going first on balance beam and delivering a spectacular 14.800, the meet's top score. Biles went last in rotation three on floor exercise and drew cheers during and after every tumbling run, her flips and landings on incredible passes bringing a roar at the finish of an effort that was rewarded with a meet-best 14.900 points. She finished on vault and unleashed another epic performance, soaring high and landing well -- showing no signs of rust from the long layoff in earning a meet-best 15.400 score. Leanne Wong, 19, finished second, five points off the pace on 54.100, with 17-year-old Joscelyn Roberson third on 54.050. Biles elected not to perform some riskier moves in her return routines as part of her overall comeback strategy. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles makes triumphant return to gymnastics at US Classic

Four-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles geared up for her highly anticipated return to competition with an impressive practice session ahead of Saturday's US Classic -- her first event since the Tokyo Olympics.

The 26-year-old superstar, a 19-time world champion, has not taken part in elite competition since her drama-filled campaign at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games two years ago.

After struggling in the early rounds of the team competition at those Games, she withdrew and then pulled out of the all-around competition as well as the vault, uneven bars and floor disciplines.

On Friday, she spent time on the four apparatuses with familiar routines and finished on the vault where she performed the highly challenging Yurchenko double pike.

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She did not speak to reporters after the session, but Biles's coach, Cecile Landi, said there had been no late doubts from Biles about getting back into action.

"We wouldn't be here if we had seen any hesitation," Landi said. "It's her will to be here, we support it, we see it, so as long as she tells us she is good to go, we're going to continue."

This weekend's event in Chicago will also mark a return to competition for reigning Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee, who has battled a kidney-related health issue this year.

Lee said she was hugely impressed with how Biles performed in training.

"I was watching her and she looks amazing, she does not even look like she took like a year off, any time off," she said.

"But again, she’s Simone, she’s just amazing, it’s really cool to be competing alongside her and just to have her there if I needed to talk or anything," she said.

Biles had first mentioned she wanted to return during a dinner at a Mexican restaurant in March, Landi said, and then ramped up her efforts after her wedding in May.

"I would say it's after her wedding once everything was over, that we saw a shift in her training and commitment to being back," she said.

Once back to work, Landi said she realized that Biles's skill-set remained solid despite the time away from the sport.

"She could do everything that she could do before," Landi said. "I think we just used the routines... to make it as mentally and physically comfortable as she could handle."

Biles has said that in Tokyo she felt as if she had the "weight of the world on my shoulders."

She said her issues had been due to an attack of what gymnasts call the "twisties" -- where athletes become disoriented and lose their sense of where they are in the air at a given moment, leaving them at risk of injury when they land.

She eventually returned for the balance beam final, opting for a less ambitious routine than usual that earned a bronze medal.

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Four-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles geared up for her highly anticipated return to competition with an impressive practice session ahead of Saturday's US Classic -- her first event since the Tokyo Olympics.

Four-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles geared up for her highly anticipated return to competition with an impressive practice session ahead of Saturday's US Classic -- her first event since the Tokyo Olympics. The 26-year-old superstar, a 19-time world champion, has not taken part in elite competition since her drama-filled campaign at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games two years ago. After struggling in the early rounds of the team competition at those Games, she withdrew and then pulled out of the all-around competition as well as the vault, uneven bars and floor disciplines. On Friday, she spent time on the four apparatuses with familiar routines and finished on the vault where she performed the highly challenging Yurchenko double pike. ALSO READ: Golf: Russell Henley maintains one-shot lead at Wyndham Championship She did not speak to reporters after the session, but Biles's coach, Cecile Landi, said there had been no late doubts from Biles about getting back into action. "We wouldn't be here if we had seen any hesitation," Landi said. "It's her will to be here, we support it, we see it, so as long as she tells us she is good to go, we're going to continue." This weekend's event in Chicago will also mark a return to competition for reigning Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee, who has battled a kidney-related health issue this year. Lee said she was hugely impressed with how Biles performed in training. "I was watching her and she looks amazing, she does not even look like she took like a year off, any time off," she said. "But again, she’s Simone, she’s just amazing, it’s really cool to be competing alongside her and just to have her there if I needed to talk or anything," she said. Biles had first mentioned she wanted to return during a dinner at a Mexican restaurant in March, Landi said, and then ramped up her efforts after her wedding in May. "I would say it's after her wedding once everything was over, that we saw a shift in her training and commitment to being back," she said. Once back to work, Landi said she realized that Biles's skill-set remained solid despite the time away from the sport. "She could do everything that she could do before," Landi said. "I think we just used the routines... to make it as mentally and physically comfortable as she could handle." Biles has said that in Tokyo she felt as if she had the "weight of the world on my shoulders." She said her issues had been due to an attack of what gymnasts call the "twisties" -- where athletes become disoriented and lose their sense of where they are in the air at a given moment, leaving them at risk of injury when they land. She eventually returned for the balance beam final, opting for a less ambitious routine than usual that earned a bronze medal. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

USA gymnast Simone Biles prepares for return for the first time since Tokyo Games

Gymnast Simone Biles, winner of four gold medals in her first Olympic Games in Rio, will carry the US flag at the closing ceremony on Sunday, the US Olympic Committee said Saturday. 
 
Biles was chosen by a vote of fellow Team US members and is just the second gymnast to be named flag bearer for the US, after Alfred Jochim in the opening ceremony in 1936. 
 
Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women&#39;s all-around, vault and floor exercise, also adding a fifth medal, bronze, on the&nbsp;balance beam. 
 
Cementing her claim to the status of best gymnast of her generation, the 19-year-old became the first American gymnast to win four golds at a single Games. 
&nbsp; 
She is one of only four women to accomplish the feat in Olympic history, joining Larissa Latynina (1956), Vera Caslavska (1968) and Ekaterina Szabo (1984). 
 
(AFP)

The 19-year-old became the first American gymnast to win four golds at a single Games ?

Gymnast Simone Biles, winner of four gold medals in her first Olympic Games in Rio, will carry the US flag at the closing ceremony on Sunday, the US Olympic Committee said Saturday. Biles was chosen by a vote of fellow Team US members and is just the second gymnast to be named flag bearer for the US, after Alfred Jochim in the opening ceremony in 1936. Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women's all-around, vault and floor exercise, also adding a fifth medal, bronze, on the balance beam. Cementing her claim to the status of best gymnast of her generation, the 19-year-old became the first American gymnast to win four golds at a single Games. She is one of only four women to accomplish the feat in Olympic history, joining Larissa Latynina (1956), Vera Caslavska (1968) and Ekaterina Szabo (1984). (AFP)

Olympics 2016: Simone Biles to carry US flag at closing ceremony