Simone Biles’ Determined Performance Propels U.S. to Lead in Olympic Qualifications

Here are the best words to describe the performance of the United States women’s gymnastics team during the qualification round at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Led by two Olympic all-around champions for the first time in history, the United States surged to the top of the standings after subdivision two, holding nearly a six-point lead over Italy, despite several moments of doubt and uncertainty.

Simone Biles, the seven-time Olympic medalist who won the all-around gold in Rio, started her return to the Games with a stellar routine on beam (14.733). However, while warming up on the floor exercise ahead of rotation two, Biles appeared to hurt her lower leg. After being evaluated by medical staff, Biles resumed competition while favoring her left leg.

Biles finished the competition at the top of the leaderboard in the all-around (59.566), earning the highest score any gymnast has achieved in an international competition this Olympic cycle. Biles also secured the No. 1 spot on vault (15.300) and floor (14.600), currently sits second on beam (14.733), and eighth on uneven bars (14.433).

After the competition, Biles’ coach Cecile Landi said Biles “felt a little something in her calf” but withdrawing from the competition was never considered. As the meet progressed, Biles began to feel better, and there are no concerns about her ability to compete throughout the remainder of the Games.

Despite Biles’ struggles, her teammates rallied behind her.

Defending Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee, who had a nervy start to the competition on beam with several balance checks, delivered the routine of her life on uneven bars to secure her spot in the all-around final with a chance to defend her title. Lee sits second behind Biles with a 56.132, just 0.067 ahead of Jordan Chiles. Lee currently sits third on uneven bars (14.866) and beam (14.033). Chiles is second behind Biles on floor (13.866).

Tokyo Olympic floor champion Jade Carey will not have a chance to defend her title after only posting a 10.633. Carey made several uncharacteristic mistakes throughout her routine and appeared to get lost in the air on her double tuck, performing only a single tuck and rolling on her back and out of bounds. Carey rebounded on vault, where her average of 14.433 currently places her second behind Biles’ 15.300.

Hezly Rivera, the youngest member of the entire U.S. delegation competing in Paris at the age of 16, contributed scores of 13.900 on uneven bars and 12.633 on beam.

In the first rotation, the French-born Kaylia Nemour, representing her father’s nation of Algeria, performed one of the most difficult routines in the world on the uneven bars (7.1 D-score). Nemour, a silver medalist on the event at the 2023 World Championships, is a strong contender for individual gold. She currently leads on uneven bars (15.600) and sits third in the all-around (55.966).

Perhaps Nemour’s biggest challenger is China’s Qiu Qiyuan, who sits second on the event after posting a 15.066.

The field for the team, all-around, and individual event finals will not be finalized until after the end of the fifth subdivision.