Simone Biles, the American gymnastics superstar, remains undeterred by a calf injury as she prepares to compete in all four events during Tuesday night’s Olympic team finals. Biles sustained a minor calf injury while warming up for floor exercise during the qualifying round on Sunday but went on to dominate with top scores on floor and vault, claiming the top spot in the all-around rankings. Despite initial considerations to rest Biles for the uneven bars event in the team finals for a brief respite, she is set to participate in every event, joining three other gymnasts in a format where all three scores count.
Biles is anticipated to anchor the U.S. team on three events – vault, floor exercise, and balance beam, and will be the second to perform on the uneven bars. Teammate Jordan Chiles, who placed fourth in the all-around behind Biles during the qualifying round, will also compete in all four events, commencing on vault, bars, and balance beam, and following Lee in the floor exercise rotation. Furthermore, Sunisa Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion, will contribute her expertise on the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.
A notable alteration to the lineup sees Jade Carey, the reigning Olympic floor exercise champion, excluded from the floor exercise event due to her struggles during qualifying and reported illness, although she is expected to compete in vault. Hezly Rivera, the youngest member of the team at 16, is not slated to compete despite her participation in the bars and beam during the qualifying round. Rivera’s scores in both events did not contribute to the team total.
The United States team is heavily favored to secure the gold medal following their second-place finish to Russia in the previous Olympics in Tokyo. The anticipated presence of Biles in all events, alongside her talented teammates, indicates a formidable lineup poised for success in the Olympic team finals.
