shutterstock_1770169160649378
Team USA won gold in the women’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, July 30, led by Simone Biles, 27, who helped lead her teammates to victory and solidifying her comeback after withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The gold was the Americans’ fourth in history of the women’s team final.
Biles, along with teammates Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Hezly Rivera, secured the gold at the women’s artistic gymnastics team final taking place on Tuesday at Bercy Arena, besting Italy and Brazil, who placed second and third respectively, with a final score of 171.296, 5.802 above the silver medal finishers. Italy ended the finals with 165.494 points, making their first-ever Olympic medal for women’s gymnastics, and its first Olympic gymnastics medal overall in almost a century. Brazil’s bronze place finish was just shy of a point behind Italy.
TEAM USA’s gold marks the fifth gold medal for Biles, the second for Lee, 21, and Carey, 24, and the first for Chiles, 23, and Rivera, 16 (the latter of whom did not participate in any apparatuses on Tuesday). Team USA previously won silver in the event at the Tokyo and Beijing Games, and gold in Rio and London.
Biles and Chiles took part in the uneven bars, vault, balance beam and floor exercise events, with Lee competed in every round except the vault (Carey’s only event). All scored above a 14 once more, with Lee leading her team on balance beam with 14.600, and on the floor routine, Lee scored a 13.533, Chiles a 13.966 and Biles a 14.666.
U.S. gymnastics coach Chellsie Memmel told reporters after competition ended: “It was amazing to watch. I know I was nervous throughout the whole competition, but they do their job,” and added of Biles: “we all knew she could do it, like that wasn’t ever a question in my mind that she could do it and it continues to just solidify her place as the greatest gymnast of all time.”
The women’s individual all-around final will be Thursday at Bercy Arena. The women’s vault and uneven bars finals will be Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The balance beam and floor exercise finals will be Monday in Paris.
Editorial credit: Focus Pix / Shutterstock.com
