PARIS: Simone Biles made a sensational return to Olympic competition on Sunday, overcoming left calf pain to launch her bid for multiple medals in rousing fashion.
Looking to add to the four gold medals she won in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the American adapted her left calf warm-up to her second apparatus, the floor exercise.
That didn’t stop her from flying through her signature Jurchenko double pike vault — now known as the Biles II — which, even after taking a big step back on the landing, scored a 9.4 for execution, a whopping 15,800 points.
She led the qualifying rankings in the all-around, vault and floor, was second on beam behind China’s Zhou Yaquin and narrowly missed out on a spot in the uneven bars final.
Even though leg pain had Biles crawling on her hands and knees to her teammates, coach Cecile Landi said there was never any doubt she would continue.
“I never think about it,” Landi said, adding that she also believes Biles will be ready to go for Tuesday’s team finals and the individual events to follow.
“Pretty awesome,” was Landi’s assessment after Biles scored 59.566 points overall.
The United States, on a mission to reclaim team gold after settling for silver in Tokyo three years ago, led the team standings with 172.296 points, ahead of Italy, China and Brazil – led by the performances of Rebecca Andrade.
Team qualification was completed by Japan, Canada, Great Britain and Romania.
Biles’ Olympic return caused a stir at Bercy Arena, with Hollywood A-listers Tom Cruise, Jessica Chastain and Greta Gerwig, pop star Ariana Grande, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and rapper Snoop Dogg in the crowd.
After entering the arena to deafening cheers, Biles crushed every element in her opening balance beam routine.
At the time, she appeared to injure herself while warming up for the floor exercise, but after having her leg and ankle taped, she performed a dynamic floor routine that featured both her Biles I double half-twist layout and her Biles II” triple-double”. from two back flips with three spins.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Team USA technical director Chellsie Memmel. “What she was able to do when she looked like she was in pain or something on her leg is remarkable.
Landi said Biles was already feeling better as she closed out her day by landing her uneven bars routine – receiving another huge ovation.
Biles pulled out of several events at the Tokyo Games as she battled a disorienting mental block gymnasts call “twisties.”
She still went home with silver and bronze and was praised for being open about her mental health issues.
After two years away, Biles is back as good or better than ever.
At 27, she could become the oldest Olympic women’s all-around champion in 72 years and only the third woman to win more than one Olympic all-around title.
“She’s just out of this world, isn’t she,” said British gymnast Ruby Evans.
Biles’ teammate Sunisa Lee, who has battled two career-threatening kidney ailments since winning the all-around in Tokyo, was third in the all-around, marking the first time the final will feature the last two gold medalists at the Olympics. History.
Brazil’s Andrade, who won vault gold in Tokyo and edged Biles for a second vault world title last year, was second in the all-around, vault and floor and third on beam.
Algerian uneven bars specialist Kaylia Nemour, 17, mastered the apparatus and also headed to the all-around final.
France’s hopes of a podium finish on home soil were dashed by a heartbreaking litany of mistakes by Melanie de Jesus dos Santos and her teammates.
De Jesus dos Santos, who trains with Biles in Texas, was reduced to tears as her mistakes piled up. “I feel like I’ve been working for nothing for the last few years,” said the dejected former European all-around champion.
