- Simone Biles made her Olympic debut this summer on Sunday
- Biles withdrew from the 2021 Tokyo Games due to turning issues
- The American was again bothered by an injury on Sunday, but still performed well
Simone Biles made a near-perfect return to the Olympics on Sunday despite an injury she sustained during a qualifying match.
The 27-year-old, who received a standing ovation upon her return, appeared to have injured herself during the warm-up for the floor exercise. She was examined by medical staff and had tape placed around her lower left leg and ankle.
For a moment it seemed as if she was worried about whether she could perform her routine.
She then appeared to stretch her calf muscle by jogging up and down, but stepped out to perform a floor exercise of incredible complexity, earning an impressive score of 14.6.
Biles still seemed subdued after leaving the floor, sitting on the step leading down from the podium instead of joining her teammates.
American Simone Biles made her debut at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris on Sunday
Biles was examined by a doctor after he appeared to suffer a calf injury at the Bercy Arena
The four-time Olympic champion was also seen with tape around her left ankle
Biles performed a floor exercise of incredible complexity and was awarded a score of 14.6
Later she performed the jump, the exercise that prompted her to leave Tokyo
The 27-year-old gymnastics icon Biles also competed in the uneven bars on Sunday
The tension as she prepared for the match led to a disastrous end to her teammate Jade Carey’s action on the arena floor.
Carey lost her balance and fell. Biles took a step off the floor in her first tumbling pass—one of the signature moves that bears her name—and took a step forward in her second. But despite the 0.1-point deduction for the dismount, it was a hugely impressive return to the Olympic floor.
Biles was then re-examined by doctors before performing the vault – the exercise that led to her withdrawal from the Tokyo competition – and she sat on the floor, appearing to stretch her calf again, before starting the competition.
Biles has injured her calf before and was heard on the televised broadcast: “When I took off, I felt it,” she said. “It’s right there on my calf. Right where I had the f***ing tear.”
