The U.S. women’s gymnastics team is golden once again.
Following their silver medal victory in Tokyo 2020, Simone Biles guided Team USA to Olympic glory, securing the gold medal in the team final on Tuesday.
Italy claimed the silver, while Brazil took home the bronze, marking its first Olympic team medal. This achievement was Italy’s first Olympic team medal since 1928.
With this victory, Biles has become the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history, amassing a total of eight medals. She was previously tied with “Magnificent Seven” star Shannon Miller at seven Olympic medals. She now has combined 38 world and olympic medals.
“We had the most fun I’ve ever had at a meet,” Suni Lee remarked following the U.S. team’s gold medal victory. “It’s incredibly special because we were all aware of how much we desired it. We dedicated ourselves, put in the work, and did everything necessary.”
Biles revealed the team’s pre-competition ritual, which included playing music loudly to pump themselves up.
The U.S. team commenced its evening with the vault, establishing strong momentum for the uneven bars. Lee led the bars segment with a daring routine that balanced risk and reward, securing a score of 14.566.
Jordan Chiles’ fall from the beam introduced a wave of anxiety into the U.S. team during the third rotation. However, Lee restored stability with a poised performance. Biles came close to a mishap on a side aerial, her beam routine’s simplest skill, yet she remained on the apparatus.
With a significant lead in difficulty points, Chiles’ error had a negligible effect on the U.S. team’s gold medal prospects. She compensated on the floor exercise, delivering a blend of dynamic acrobatics and captivating stage presence, performing to Beyoncé’s music.
Olympic floor champion Jade Carey executed a single routine, a Cheng vault scoring 14.800. She withdrew from the floor final following an unsettling qualifying round, where she seemed disoriented during her double tuck, completing only a full tuck and tumbling out of bounds.
Simone Biles and teammates celebrate after Team USA won the artistic gymnastics women’s team final at the Olympics in Paris on Tuesday.
Even Suni Lee, who came away from Tokyo with the all-around gold medal, was hungry to achieve Olympic glory with her teammates by her side.
“I think this time around, we’re so much more mature and know what we can do and what we can’t do,” Lee said.
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