Simone Biles Shines Despite Injury on First Day of 2024 Olympic Games
On the first day of the 2024 Olympic Games, gymnast Simone Biles showed her strength and skill. She hurt her leg during a warm-up, causing concern, but she pushed through and finished first.
Her coach, Cecile Landi, said, "She felt a little something in her calf." Despite this, Biles got high scores, including a top score of 15.8 on the vault.
With strong performances from her teammates, the U.S. women's gymnastics team secured a spot in the team all-around final on Tuesday. They are favorites to win gold.
The individual all-around final is on Thursday, and Landi said there are no concerns about Biles competing.
Biles hurt her leg during a warm-up for the floor exercise. After landing a pass, she walked carefully off the mat, talked with her coaches, and left the floor for a short time.
She came back with her ankle and lower calf wrapped in athletic tape. Despite the pain, Biles finished her routines with determination. "She never thought about stopping," Landi said.
Expectations for Biles and the U.S. team are high at the Paris Olympics. Biles, 27, has been at her best since returning to competition last year after a two-year break. She is expected to win at least three individual gold medals and a team all-around gold.
An injury could have affected these goals, but women's team technical lead Chellsie Memmel focused on Biles's health first. "I just want to make sure she's okay, then we'll go from there," Memmel said. She praised Biles's performance despite the soreness in her leg.
Landi said Biles had a similar calf issue earlier this month, which went away until the competition day. "Just a little pain in her calf," Landi said. The U.S.
women's team finished their qualifications in the top spot. Gymnasts Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee, the defending gold medalist in the individual all-around, were about 3.5 points behind Biles.
"Their goal is clear: to win a gold medal," Memmel said.
In three rounds on Sunday, Biles performed last, getting the full attention of about 15,000 spectators, including celebrities Snoop Dogg, Tom Cruise, and Anna Wintour, who came mainly to see her.
Simone Biles's amazing comeback and performance have set a strong tone for the U.S. women's gymnastics team as they head into the finals, with the world watching and high expectations.