Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles has made a strong start to her Olympic comeback at the Paris 2024 Games. On Sunday, Biles and the American women's gymnastics team competed in the qualifying round, showcasing their impressive skills and determination.
In the past three years, Simone Biles made the decision to withdraw from the women's team final and the following individual events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in order to focus on her mental health, grappling with the challenges of the 'twisties.' However, on Sunday, that difficult chapter appeared to be behind her as she delivered an impressive performance.
With incredible grace, she glided smoothly across the balance beam, executing a dazzling routine in just 79 seconds. Biles seemed to slightly injure her left ankle while practicing her signature Biles I skill during warm-ups. Despite this minor setback, Biles put forth a strong performance on the floor, earning a score of 14.666 and demonstrating solid, if somewhat cautious, movements.
As the competition began, there were no indications of any problems. She executed her signature Yurchenko double pike routine flawlessly, sending the performance soaring towards the ceiling. Maintaining excellent control, she took several steps back and was rewarded with an impressive score of 15.800.
Simone Biles capped off her exceptional performance on the uneven bars with a successful routine, earning a score of 14.433 points. Relief and elation were palpable as she flashed a radiant smile, clearly overjoyed with her accomplishment.
She excelled in all four events, attaining her highest score of 14.900 on the vault. Her only setback came during the uneven bars routine, where she had to arch her back to correct a handstand position error. Nevertheless, Andrade still achieved a score of 14.400 on the apparatus.
Andrade, like Biles, qualified for five finals, with notable scores such as 14.500 on the balance beam and 13.900 in the floor exercise, excluding only the bars.