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| Simone
Biles Leads U.S. Women to Team Gold at Paris Olympics |
PARIS –From the onset of the competition, it was evident that
Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team were vying for gold, while
everyone else was competing for a podium spot. Biles, alongside Jade Carey,
Jordan Chiles, and Sunisa Lee, led from start to finish, securing the gold
medal in the women’s team gymnastics final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on
Tuesday. Although Hezly Rivera is part of the team, she did not compete.
"We're super excited," Biles said. "We're
honored to represent the U.S. every time we get on a world stage, but achieving
that gold and that goal was an amazing feeling. I think we all had something to
prove from Tokyo, and tonight we did just that."
The significance of the victory was palpable. "This
means the world to us. This was our goal going in, even though we didn't share
it with everybody because it was a personal thing we were working on. But I
think for all of us, it's what we came here to do, and we're super excited to
walk away with that gold medal," Biles added.
This triumph marks the fifth Olympic gold for Biles, who was
the final gymnast to perform. Her electrifying floor routine had the Bercy
Arena, filled with boisterous American fans, rocking as she tumbled and flipped
with precision.
The U.S. team finished with a total score of 171.296,
outpacing Italy by 5.802 points. The Americans ranked first on all four
apparatus during the competition. Brazil secured bronze with a score of
164.497, while Japan, competing without captain Shoko Miyata, finished last
among the eight teams in the final with a score of 159.463.
For Biles, this gold medal is especially poignant, coming
three years after she withdrew from the team final at the Tokyo Games due to
mental health concerns, including the twisties — a phenomenon where a gymnast
becomes disoriented in the air. Her openness about her struggles ignited a
widespread conversation about mental health across the sports world, leading to
significant changes in various areas.
In Tokyo, Biles pulled out after one rotation on the vault.
In Paris, she began on the vault and stuck her landing, scoring 14.9 to dispel
any lingering doubts. "After I finished vault, I was relieved because at
least no flashbacks or anything," Biles said with a laugh. "But I did
feel a lot of relief, and as soon as I landed vault, I thought, 'Oh yeah, we're
going to do this.'"
Chiles, who was also part of the team in Tokyo where the
U.S. earned silver, echoed this sentiment. "That's definitely what I was
thinking," Chiles said. "I was like, yo, hallelujah, no flashbacks, nothing. It was like, OK, all she needed to do was follow her normal routine. So me
jumping up and down was just out of relief. From then on, knowing she's the
greatest of all greats, we were clearly about to go out there and be
ourselves."
With this victory, Biles became the most decorated American
gymnast of all time, surpassing Shannon Miller with her eighth medal. "I
would've had to Google that," Biles said. "I'm not really sure. I
don't keep count; I don't keep stats. I just go out there, do what I'm supposed
to, do what I love, and enjoy it. That's all that matters to me."
Chiles was the first U.S. gymnast to perform and was
consistent all night. She competed on all four apparatus but will not have the
chance to vie for the all-around title after finishing behind Biles and Lee,
the reigning champion, in the preliminaries. Each nation is allowed a maximum
of two gymnasts in the final.
"Honestly, the two per
country rule... I don't like it," Chiles said. "But having this
opportunity felt really good. Being part of winning this gold medal and
everything I've gone through has been an amazing experience. I'm really proud
of each and every one of us."
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