Getty Simone Biles practices on the balance beam before the Paris Olympics.
Simone Biles was playing hurt on her opening day at the Paris Olympics, but it did little to slow the gold medalist.
The 27-year-old turned in a dominant performance at qualifying on July 28, earning a spot in the all-around final despite some obvious discomfort in her left leg and one scary moment. Biles needed tape on her leg after suffering some discomfort, leading to some worry about her ability to compete in future events at the Summer Games.
But Team USA coach Cecile Landi said afterward that the injury was only minor, sharing some praise for the performance from the injured star.
“I can’t express it,” Landi said afterward, via The Associated Press. “I’m really proud of her and what she’s been through and what she’s showing the world what she’s capable of doing.”
Injury Can’t Hold Back Simone Biles
Despite the soreness in her leg, Biles was able to complete qualifying and led the all-around standings with a score of 59.566 by the time she finished. As The Associated Press noted, she “dazzled” on the balance beam before tweaking her leg warming up on a floor exercise.
As ESPN reported, Biles could be heard saying she felt something in her calf, then returned to the floor with a taped leg and nailed her routine.
“She appeared just fine when Taylor Swift’s ‘Ready for It’ began playing, and her routine — the hardest in the world — was solid,” the report noted. “She walked gingerly off the floor and sat off to the side for a moment before receiving a hug from longtime coach Laurent Landi.”
We are in the presence of greatness 🥹
@Simone_Biles is back and competing in her THIRD Olympics!
📺: @NBCOlympics & @peacock
Cecile Landi, the other half of the couple who have worked closely with Biles in Texas for years, also gave some words of encouragement to Biles after the injury setback.
“We told her to remind herself, like she’s capable of doing it,” Cecile Landi said. “She knows she’s got it and it’s OK, and then she did. So really excited for her.”
Big Opportunity for Simone Biles
After her strong performance on Sunday, Biles has the chance to make an even bigger mark on the Paris Olympics. She advanced to the all-around final along with teammate Suni Lee, making it the first time that two Olympics all-around gold medalists will compete against each other in the competition.
Biles also has the opportunity to become the first gymnast to have a skill named after her in all four events. The 27-year-old submitted a new element on bars, which the Washington Post’s Emily Giambalvo noted was a “prerequisite for a gymnast to introduce an original skill in a competition.”
Biles already has two elements named after her in the vault and two in the floor, with another one in the beam.
As Giambalvo noted, the announcement of the new named element came as a surprise.
“Biles hadn’t indicated she planned to attempt a new element here,” Giambalvo wrote. “Biles’s mastery of innovative elements on each apparatus would strengthen her legacy as the world’s best gymnast. Having an eponymous skill on bars is one of the few achievements Biles lacks.”
Biles will need to complete the move in order to have it named after her, but Giambalvo added that submitting an element for evaluation does not guarantee a gymnast will attempt it during the Olympics.