Simone Biles appeared to injure her leg during a warm-up for the floor exercise, her second apparatus of the night.
On her first day of competition at the 2024 Olympic Games, gymnast Simone Biles appeared to injure her leg during a warm-up routine. Despite initial concerns, she completed her routines and secured first place.
Biles’ coach, Cecile Landi, downplayed the injury’s significance, saying, “She felt a little something in her calf.”
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Biles posted impressive scores, including a competition-high 15.8 on the vault. Along with strong performances from her teammates, this secured a spot for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team in the team all-around final on Tuesday, where they are favorites for gold. The individual all-around final is scheduled for Thursday.
Currently, there are no concerns about Biles’s ability to compete in these events, according to Landi.
Biles appeared to injure her leg during a warm-up for the floor exercise, her second apparatus of the night. After landing a pass, she walked gingerly off the mat, consulted with her coaches, and briefly left the floor. She returned with her ankle and lower calf wrapped in thick athletic tape.
Despite the injury, Biles completed her remaining routines, scoring a high of 15.8 on the vault. Landi stated, “Never in her mind was there a question of whether she would continue.”
Expectations are high for Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the Paris Olympics. Biles, 27, has been performing at her peak since returning to competition last year after a two-year hiatus. She is the favorite to win at least three individual gold medals, along with a team all-around gold for the U.S.
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An injury could jeopardize these aspirations. “First and foremost, I just want to make sure she’s physically okay, and then we’re just going to go from there,” said women’s team technical lead Chellsie Memmel. “What she was able to do, with what looked like soreness or something in her lower leg, is remarkable.”
Landi revealed that Simone Biles had experienced a similar calf issue earlier this month. “After that, it stopped. Then a little bit again today,” Landi said. “Just a little pain in her calf.”
The U.S. women’s team finished their qualification round at the top of the team rankings. Gymnasts Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee, the defending gold medalist in the individual all-around, both finished about 3.5 points behind Biles.
“Their goal is very obvious: to come home with a gold medal,” Memmel said.
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During three of Sunday’s rounds, Biles performed last, drawing the full attention of the 15,000-strong crowd, which included celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Tom Cruise, and Anna Wintour, who came to see her in action.