PARIS – Simone Biles secured her fifth Olympic gold medal by leading the United States to a decisive victory in the women’s gymnastics team final at the Bercy Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
The US team, comprising Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, showcased a commanding performance, achieving a combined score of 171.296. This impressive result placed them nearly six points ahead of Italy, which earned a historic silver medal with a score of 165.494, their first artistic gymnastics medal in 96 years. Brazil clinched bronze with a score of 164.497, marking their first team medal in gymnastics and narrowly edging out Great Britain by just 0.234 points.
This triumph restores the Americans to their dominant position in the sport after settling for silver at the Tokyo Olympics, a Games where Biles had to withdraw from the team final due to “the twisties.” With their latest win, the US has now secured team gold in gymnastics for the third time in the last four Summer Games.
“I think we all had something to prove from Tokyo,” Biles said jubilantly after the event. “And tonight we did just that.”
The American team, the oldest ever to represent the country in Olympic gymnastics, dazzled the crowd in their sequined red, white, and blue leotards. Their celebration was a testament to their dominant performance, despite the final results being evident well before they were officially announced.
Biles’ gold medal extends her record as the most decorated gymnast in history, now with 38 career medals across Olympics and world championships. The 27-year-old from Houston, the oldest American woman gymnast since the 1950s, overcame a calf injury sustained during the qualifying rounds, showcasing her exceptional skills and maintaining her status as the sport’s leading figure.
In their performance, the US team excelled across all four disciplines. They began with a strong showing on vault, with Chiles and Carey delivering solid performances, and Biles scoring a high 14.900. Despite the pressure, Biles managed to achieve one of her better routines on uneven bars, scoring 14.366. Lee led with 14.566, while Chiles added a solid 14.400.
The team continued to build their lead on balance beam, where Lee and Biles scored 14.600 and 14.366, respectively, despite Chiles’ fall. Their final event, the floor exercise, saw energetic routines from Lee and Chiles, maintaining momentum before Biles concluded the competition with a performance that featured Taylor Swift’s “Ready for It?” Biles’ routine, despite stepping out of bounds twice, ended with a score of 14.666, closing the event to widespread acclaim.
The victory celebration included notable figures such as Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, and Spike Lee, along with Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, who was granted leave from his NFL training camp to support his wife.
The absence of the Russian team, who won gold in Tokyo, left a void in the competition. Biles will have further opportunities to add to her medal count in the upcoming individual all-around final, where she aims to become the third woman to win this title twice.
Reflecting on their performance, Biles expressed the team’s drive for redemption. “This is definitely our redemption tour. I feel like we all have more to give.”
On this memorable Tuesday, Team USA’s redemption was complete.
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