The Americans are the golden girls of gymnastics again. The team that won gold in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016) had to be content with silver only in Tokyo three years ago when the Russians won. However, the Americans struck gold again in the team event in Paris on Tuesday (July 30), outshining the competition.
Simone Biles was in sparkling form. She clinched her fifth Olympic gold helping the Americans win the team event. Gone was the girl who abruptly withdrew from the competition in Tokyo because she experienced “the twisties”, a temporary loss of air awareness while performing twisting elements.
Biles, 27, competed with her left calf taped after suffering a muscle strain during Sunday’s qualifying competition. But she seemed entirely at ease. Later, the 27-year-old told an overflowing press conference at the Bercy Arena:”I started off with therapy this morning and … I was feeling calm and ready.”
Biles’ fifth Olympic gold: Her eighth Olympic medal
With her fifth gold medal, now she has eight Olympic medals, making her the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympic Games. She was tied at seven medals with Shannon Miller, who participated in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games. The Americans won the team event in Atlanta, also.
Biles’ team mates in Paris on what they called their Redemption Tour – to reclaim the gold medal – performed brilliantly.
The defending all-around champion Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles gave electrifying displays.
Cheered on by the crowd in the absence of the French team, which failed to qualify for the final, the United States finished with a total of 171.296, an impressive 5.802 points ahead of second-placed Italy. Brazil finished third and Britain fourth.
Biles was surprised when a reporter said she had now won a whopping 38 world and Olympic medals. “I’m doing what I love and enjoying it, that’s all that matters to me,” she said.
Chiles fell off the balance beam in the final, and the spectators gasped in disbelief.
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS 🇺🇸🥇
The women of @USAGym are champions once again! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/UR4cxDaPna
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 30, 2024
Thrilling US team performance
But her lapse was quickly forgotten, as Lee’s thrilling performance on the balance beam spellbound the arena.
An electrifying floor exercise routine by Chiles had the crowd cheering as she completed her final pose, pumped her fist and walked off the mat.
Competing last on the floor, Biles exuded confidence as she held a captive audience while performing her gravity-defying tumbling passes. She earned 14.666 points to seal the US victory, sparking joyous celebrations.
The triumphant American quintet that included Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera rushed onto the floor with a giant American flag as thousands of fans in the stands reached for their cell phones to capture the moment.
Chiles, who also competed in Tokyo, said about her friend, Biles: “You can definitely tell that she’s a different person from Tokyo than she is now.”
Biles won four golds in Rio – in the team event, all-around, vault and floor exercise – a silver in Tokyo in the team event, and bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo for the balance beam.
Related post: Simone Biles overcomes a calf injury to deliver an outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics