Simone Biles overcame a sore calf muscle to post an impressive all-around score on Sunday, showcasing the qualities that have made her one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
Biles performed a flawless balance beam routine, earning a score of 14.733 (the highest score ever recorded on a balance beam), but landed awkwardly while warming up for the floor exercise and left the field, only to return with the lower part of her left leg heavily taped.
Though she appeared to be in pain and walked with a limp, she twisted with her usual strength on every other apparatus and posted impressive scores of 15.800 on vault, 14.433 on uneven bars and 14.600 on floor exercise.
Overall, she earned a total score of 59.566 in her Olympic return, beating teammate Suni Lee by more than three points.
When asked by a reporter after Sunday’s match if she was OK, Biles replied, “Yeah, I’m as fit as I can be.”
Coach’s praise: USA Gymnastics technical coach Chelsea Memmel told reporters she was impressed with her star athlete’s tenacious performance.
Overcoming Adversity: In Netflix’s new documentary series, “Simone Biles Rising,” gymnastics champion Simone Biles looks back on her Olympic career as she prepares for the Paris Games.
Biles said she had some confusion in her routine and “Twisties”.
In the first episode of a four-part documentary series filmed during the competition and following her through to Paris, Biles describes how she felt.
“I’m getting lost in my skills,” she said in a selfie video at the time. “I don’t know why. I don’t know if I’m overpreparing and overthinking it. I’m getting lost in my floor skills and it’s becoming a dangerous situation.”
Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, said she struggled with the public scrutiny she faced for prioritizing her mental and physical health.
