Photo Credit:Reuters
They've done it once more! Team USA clinched the gold medal in the women's gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, July 30. This victory marks a triumphant return for Simone Biles, who led the team to success after her mid-competition withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The American team, comprising Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Hezly Rivera, outperformed Italy and Brazil, who secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively. With a final score of 171.296, they finished 5.802 points ahead of the second-place team.
For Biles, 27, this win adds a fifth gold medal to her collection. It is the second gold for Lee and Carey, while Chiles and Rivera celebrate their first. Notably, Rivera did not compete in any apparatuses on this occasion. Team USA had previously won silver in this event at the Tokyo and Beijing Games and gold in Rio and London.
The competition began with strong performances on the vault by Chiles, 23, Carey, 24, and Biles, who scored above 14, with Biles achieving the highest score of 14.900. The team continued their impressive showing on the uneven bars, where Chiles, Biles, and Lee, 21, each scored above 14. Lee led the way on the balance beam with a score of 14.600. In the floor routine, Lee scored 13.533, Chiles 13.966, and Biles 14.666.
"It was incredible to witness," said U.S. gymnastics coach Chellsie Memmel after the competition. "I was nervous throughout, but they delivered."
Memmel praised Biles' remarkable comeback, saying it "speaks volumes of her strength." She added, "We always knew she could do it, and this only solidifies her status as the greatest gymnast of all time."
The Bercy Arena crowd included numerous celebrities and supporters cheering for the women's gymnastics team, who won gold just a day after the U.S. men's team claimed a bronze medal, their first since 2008.
The next event is the individual finals, starting with the all-around competition on August 1. Biles and Lee, who won gold in Tokyo following Biles' withdrawal, will represent the U.S., marking the first time two all-around gold medalists will face off in an Olympic Games.
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