Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team defeated both Italy and Brazil to win team gold Tuesday. It’s the first gymnastics team gold for the U.S. since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Biles, alongside teammates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, outscored the second-placed Italians by almost six points. Biles’ gold is her eighth Olympic medal, surpassing Shannon Miller to make her the most-decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast in history.
Garnering the loudest cheers from the crowd throughout the meet, Chiles, Carey, and Biles nailed their vaults during the first rotation. After the first rotation, the Americans were up almost 1.5 points, and they never looked back. The team held the top score on every apparatus in the competition.
Although Biles tweaked her calf during Sunday’s qualifications, the 27-year-old was as dominant as ever. She scored near the top out on every apparatus, with each routine holding a high degree of difficulty. She was the top floor performer and second-best vaulter; she infamously pulled out of the vault event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a case of the “twisties.”
This is Team USA’s third all-around team win since the 2012 London Olympics. Biles and Lee continue their quest for medals in the individual all-around Thursday.
