PARIS (AP) — American gymnastics sensation Simone Biles is gearing up to compete in the women’s team final at Bercy Arena. Biles sustained a minor injury to her left calf during the qualifying round on Sunday but is determined to participate in the final.
Team USA, consisting of Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, is heavily favored to clinch the gold medal in Paris after settling for silver behind Russia at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Injury Concerns for Biles
Despite her calf injury, Biles is slated to compete on all four apparatuses in the team final. This marks her return to the team event after withdrawing from the Tokyo competition due to mental health reasons. Chiles, Biles’ longtime friend and teammate from World Champions Centre in Houston, will also be competing in all four events.
Event Lineup and Competitors
Lee is set to showcase her skills on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise, while Carey will join Biles and Chiles on the vault. In the qualifying round, Italy emerged as a surprising second-place finisher, closely trailing behind the American team.
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade is being touted as Biles’ main rival in the all-around competition. The U.S. and Italy will kick off the final with the vault, followed by uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.
Insight into the Competition
In gymnastics, margins of victory are usually determined by fractions, making the Americans’ lead in qualifying quite significant. The rivalry between Biles and Andrade, as well as the battle between the U.S. and Italy, adds an extra layer of excitement to the women’s team final in Paris.
