PARIS (AP) — The similarities were striking. It may be appropriate in the birthplace of déjà vu.
Simon Bills It is set aside Olympics. Dr. Marcia Faustin of the USA Gymnastics team by her side. A worried look on both of their faces.
Three years ago in Tokyo, the show ended with Biles pulling herself out of several finals to protect her safety – prompting international discussion. Mental health.
However, Bills is determined to write a different ending to the story in Paris. The 27-year-old American star has not dealt with any suspensions or injuries, but it was more than normal for gymnasts, especially those who have been doing this for two decades.
Just in Tokyo, Biles and Faustin disappeared briefly. Unlike in Tokyo, Biles returned not in sweats, but after her left leg was taped and her calf was worn during warm-ups on the floor. She spent the rest of the afternoon walking around with a familiar arm everywhere except the competition floor.
The woman who has been saying over and over again that this is not 2021 took the plunge on Sunday and proved it. A star Bercy Arena, what the American coach is shaking Cecil Landy It was described as a small calf affair to post top scores all round and put the ghosts from Tokyo in the rear view.
Bills finished with a 59.566, one clear of the reigning Olympic champion and teammate. Sunisa Lee, greeting the crowd after landing on the uneven bars, her final performance. She left the stage, danced with a good friend. Jordan Chiles And she has no plans to stop her search for gold on Tuesday. Group final And Thursday’s individual around.
“It was an amazing 59.5,” Landy said. “She’s not perfect (but) to be able to improve… great.
Landy said the issue surfaced a few weeks ago and was minor. There was no discussion of issuing bills.
Instead, Landy and her husband, Laurent — who served as the Bills’ longtime personal trainer in Texas — encouraged Laura to take a breath and keep going as the heavy tape wound around her leg.
“We told her to remind herself that she can do it,” Landy says. “She knew she got it and it was okay and then she did it. So we are very excited for her.
The issue rarely slowed her down. Biles set high scores on floor and vault — both after injuries — as she tries to add to her career total of seven Olympic medals.
The last event Biles could miss was the uneven bars, where she opted not to attempt a special skill that she presented to the International Gymnastics Federation on Friday. She could still choose to make the team finals, which would open the door to the sport’s points code attached to her name.
But that seemed far from Bills’ mind as she finished setting up bars. Instead, there was a mixture of relief and a desire to swallow after completing what could be the final race of her unparalleled career.
The heavily favored Americans finished with a 172.296, five points ahead of Italy (166.861), two of the five splits, and her teammates could do the same. Three years ago to Russia.
“They are happy and relieved,” Landy said. “Day 1, now hopefully into team finals, all-around finals, pairs event finals.”
Landy said Bills’ leg felt good as she moved through the events and expects to be in the future.
The fact is that the Americans – especially when Russia is out of the mix due to the war in Ukraine – do not need to rely on her as in previous games.
In the preliminaries, Bills, Lee and Chile went 1-2-3, although Chile was eliminated from the finals in all rounds due to a rule that limits countries to two athletes per event.
If the Chileans finish first in the 8th, there is a chance to make the floor exercise last. Lee is a lock for the beam and bars finals, with 2020 floor exercise champion Jade Carey in good position to join Bills in the vault finals.
That is, if the Bills are healthy.
The injury adds drama to a must-see event for athletes and celebrities alike.
The stands were buzzing and full of stars. Tom Cruise took selfies while waiting for Bills to come out. Snoop Dogg had front row seats, and Ariana Grande, Jessica Chastain, John Legend and Anna Wintour were also on hand.
Bills arrived in Paris as the face of the US Olympic movement and perhaps the Olympics themselves. The buzz surrounding her return to the game was palpable, with NBC leaning into her star power by splashing Bills’ face in countless promos in the lead-up to Paris.
Her gravity is real. Athletes In the Olympic spectrum They said they wanted to make it a point to capture the most decorated gymnast of all time for her unique performance. Among them: LeBron James and the U.S. men’s basketball team, busy with their Olympic opener on Sunday.
James and company may have a chance to catch the Bills later this week, if the calf cooperates, in a sport where the injury rate is close to 100%.
Bills spent the last 11 years.
Not for Bills — not yet — as her chances of sending Golden are very much in the works, though she’s really now being forced to take one ginger step at a time.
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