When is Simone Biles next competing at Paris 2024 Olympic Games? What happened in Tokyo? 'Twisties' explained
Updated 03/08/2024 at 17:18 GMT+1
Simone Biles is one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, but she was prevented from adding to her tally of Olympic gold medals at Tokyo 2020 after suffering a case of the 'twisties'. Biles has returned at Paris 2024, where she has already clinched gold for the USA and has more opportunities. discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympics, and the only place to watch every moment of Paris 2024.
Watch moment Biles pulls off brilliant floor routine to clinch team gold for USA
Video credit: TNT Sports
With ten Olympic and 30 World Championship medals to her name, Simone Biles is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
Biles returned to action on Sunday in the women's gymnastics qualifying at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and made a near-perfect display with a score of 59.566.
The 27-year-old kicked off her Olympic return on the beam, ending her routine with a stunning triple spin and complex dismount to score 14.733. Her floor routine came next, with the American executing five different moves named after her as she scored 14.600.
Her efforts helped send the United States into the team final, where they picked up gold - Biles' fifth Olympic gold medal.
However, there was more to come from the gymnastics star.
She also won gold in the all around before storming to victory with a stunning display in the individual women's vault final.
Biles was expected to continue where she left off at Tokyo 2020 and add to her already impressive medal haul and she has already done that, and could even exceed expectations by the tournament's end.
How has biles performed so far at the Paris 2024 Olympic games?
Biles returned to action on Sunday in sub-division two of women's gymnastics qualifying and finished with a score of 59.566, a score that would have been enough to win two of the last three World Championships.
The 27-year-old kicked off her Olympic return on the beam, ending her routine with a stunning triple spin and complex dismount to score 14.733. Her floor routine came next, with the American executing five different moves named after her as she scored 14.600.
She performed another move named after her on the vault, the Biles II, scoring 15.800 before finishing on the uneven bars. Her score of 14.433 on the bars was not enough for her to qualify for that individual final.
It was a near-perfect return for Biles, although she was seemingly in discomfort after her floor routine on her strapped calf.
But any hint of injury had been wiped away in the finals as the USA scored a total of 171.296 to complete victory over Italy on 165.494.
In the finals she delivered stunning bars and beam routines to seal gold, bringing a crowd filled with celebrities there to see her to their feet.
"They called it their redemption tour, and that's what it is. They wanted the gold they couldn't get in Tokyo," coach Cecile Landi said.
She won her second gold medal in Paris with a remarkable performance in the all-around on Day 6.
Her third gold of the Games came on the day eight when she blew the competition out of the water in the vault final.
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'Serena liked it!' - Biles with hugely impressive uneven bars in front of Williams
Video credit: TNT Sports
WHEN IS SIMONE BILES NEXT COMPETING AT PARIS 2024?
Biles will take part in the beam finals on Monday.
What happened to Simone Biles at Tokyo 2020?
Biles was aiming for six gold medals at Tokyo 2020, but her Olympic Games did not go to plan.
She suffered several mishaps during the qualification rounds, before balking during a vault performance in the team final. This caused her to withdraw from the rest of the team competition, citing a case of the twisties.
As the gymnastics competition progressed, Biles continued to withdraw from more events. She did not compete in the all-around, vault, uneven bars and floor finals, leaving only the possibility of participating in the balance beam final.
Biles was able to compete in the balance beam, and although she performed a simpler routine than planned, she still managed to earn a bronze medal.
- Biles qualifies for Paris Olympics with impressive showing at US trials
- 'That next step towards Paris' - Biles wins ninth US Championship ahead of Olympics
What are the 'twisties'?
The twisties are a mental block which causes a gymnast to lose awareness while in the air.
This can be dangerous as it can cause the gymnast to lose control of their body and be unable to land safely.
Biles had experienced the twisties on the vault and floor before, but not on the uneven bars and balance beam.
"It has never transferred to bars and beam for me," she wrote on Instagram during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. "This time it’s literally in every event which sucks.
"[You] literally cannot tell up from down. It’s the craziest feeling ever, not having an inch of control over your body.
"What’s even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air, I also have no idea how I’m going to land, or what I’m going to land on. It’s honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind and body in sync."
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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