Team USA Gymnastics entered the arena amidst loud cheers and bright lights, with their leotards and smiles sparkling away. All eyes were on Simone Biles as the team began their rotation with the balance beam amidst other competitors.
Sunisa Lee kickstarted the event with a terrific performance while the others cheered her on from the sidelines. Although she had some rocky portions, she managed to finish with finesse and saved herself from some falls.
But it was truly Biles who stole the show, with some challenging turns on the beams and a dismount that scored her brownie points. The team led through the first rotation with a solid lead.
However, trouble struck when Biles sustained an injury midway through warm-ups, having crawled her way to the medical professionals. She later emerged with a heavily taped ankle and a slight limp that got fans concerned about her participation.
In the second rotation, both Jade Carey and Biles faced some trouble keeping their balance up on the floor. While Carey ended up with a fall, Biles’ moves were complex enough and involved one named after herself, that she could make up for the final score of 83.932.
Fans were in for a surprise during the uneven bars routine, where everyone was anticipating a new move from Biles. Unfortunately, she chose not to go for the new skill and settled for a standard move instead. However, this did not deter the team’s spirit nor scoreboard lead, since Lee, being the champion of the bars swooped in with a big bag of points.
Jordan Chiles nailed the vault beam dismount, getting the team’s score up as well. Overall, the women’s gymnastics team managed to keep their heads high through the qualifiers, fighting through setbacks to ensure a fabulous performance.
A star-studded watch party for Simone Biles
Talk about the pressure at the Paris Olympics. Biles’ return was not only a sight to see for the general fans, but the stands were also choke-full of celebrities who wanted to witness the greatness of the GOAT in her field.
While Biles’ biggest supporters came in the form of her family, she got to witness some Hollywood A-listers, including Ariana Grande, Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, and Tom Cruise! With a star-studded fan base, the gymnast’s performance was the cherry on top for every sports fan.
