During warmups, Simone Biles experienced some discomfort in her calf but managed to lead the United States women’s gymnastics team through the Olympic qualifying round at the Bercy Arena on Sunday. Despite the minor setback, Biles and her teammates delivered a stellar performance, securing first place with 172.296 points, putting them ahead of Italy by five points going into the team finals on Tuesday.
The U.S. women excelled with five scores of 14.5 or higher, with Biles impressively scoring 15.8 on the vault. Biles, dubbed a favorite, will also compete in the individual all-around final.
Despite concerns about her calf injury, Biles’ personal coach and coach of the U.S. team, Cecile Landi, reassured reporters that she was feeling better and determined to continue competing in Paris. The injury occurred when Biles landed a difficult maneuver during warmups but she soldiered on with her ankle taped, showcasing a remarkable performance across different events despite the discomfort.
Landi emphasized that there were no considerations to modify Biles’ routines, indicating that the gymnast persisted through the pain. Chellsie Memmel, technical lead for the U.S. team, commended Biles’ outstanding performance, highlighting her resilience and talent despite the visible discomfort.
Simone Biles, renowned as the most decorated gymnast with an impressive medal count from world championships and Olympics, is poised to potentially secure her second Olympic all-around individual title on Thursday, making history as one of the few women to achieve this feat.