July 27, 2021 at 05:44PMAlice Park/Tokyo
After one rotation, defending Olympic all-around champion Simone Biles pulled out of the women’s gymnastics team event final.
With Team USA competing on vault in the first rotation, Biles took to the podium and launched herself into the air. Once airborne, however, she seemed to lose her bearings and looked off to the side on the way down. Instead of completing two and a half twists, in a vault named after her, she was only able to complete one and a half. That lowered her start value and execution score, and she immediately spoke to a trainer after coming off the podium.
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After consulting with the trainer for a few minutes, the two left the arena, but rushed back minutes later before the next rotation on uneven bars while her coach, Cecile Landi, consulted with officials. Biles removed her hand and wrist grips, a sign that she would not be performing on uneven bars. After hugging her teammates, she put on her warm up jacket and pants. Tokyo 2020 then confirmed Biles had pulled out of the competition.
It’s not clear what the medical issue is, and whether it will affect her ability to compete in the all-around event in two days.
Her absence will hamper Team USA’s chances for defending the team title; Biles’ high difficulty routines were the foundation for building a repeat gold-medal performance. Biles had been scheduled to compete on all four apparatus, but teammates Jordan Chiles will replace her on uneven bars and beam, while Sunisa Lee will replace her on floor.
Immediately after Biles pulled out, teammates Chiles and Lee nailed their uneven bars routines, but Team USA still remains 2.5 points behind the Russians.
From the stands, NBC’s Hoda Kotb tried to drum up a cheer for Simone from the few athletes and media around. Biles acknowledged the support with a smile.
Read more about the Tokyo Olympics:
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- ‘Unapologetic and Unafraid.’ Sue Bird Stares Down Olympic Glory in Tokyo and Equity Off the Court
- Meet 6 Heroes Who Helped Battle COVID-19 Before Competing in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics
- Here’s How Many Medals Every Country Has Won at the Tokyo Summer Olympics So Far
- 48 Athletes to Watch at the Tokyo Olympics
- The Olympic Refugee Team Was Created to Offer Hope. Some Athletes Are Running Away From It
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