What to Watch For as Simone Biles Leads U.S. in Quest for Team Gold

By Juliet Macur, The New York Times

The women’s team was a favorite to win in Tokyo but ended up with silver after Biles withdrew. Now the gymnasts are seeking redemption in Paris.

Simone Biles has another name for the U.S. gymnastics team’s participation in the Paris Games: the redemption tour. The team final on Tuesday will be an important stop.

At the Tokyo Games, the U.S. women’s team was a favorite to win, but it ended up with silver, behind Russia, after Biles withdrew from the final because of a mental block. That ended the United States’ streak of consecutive team victories at the London Games in 2012 and in Rio in 2016.

Now Biles, who is anchoring the team on three of the four events in the final, said the team was ready to return to the top.

“Our Tokyo performances weren’t the best,” she said. “I feel like we have a lot of weight on our shoulders to go out there and prove that we’re better athletes, we’re more mature, we’re smarter, we’re more consistent.”

And they are Olympic veterans. The three other gymnasts competing in the team final — including the defending all-around champion Sunisa Lee — are all competing at their second Summer Games.

The other two competing will be Jordan Chiles, who finished fourth in all-around qualifying on Sunday, and Jade Carey, the gold medalist on the floor exercise from Tokyo.

Once again, the team is expected to win.

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