Simone Biles shakes off calf injury to dominate during Olympic gymnastics qualifying

PARIS (AP) — The similarities were striking. Maybe fitting in the birth place of déjà vu.

Simone Biles sitting off to the side at the Olympics. USA gymnastics team doctor Marcia Faustin by her side. A look of concern on both their faces.

Three years ago in Tokyo, the scene ended with Biles removing herself from multiple finals to protect her safety — prompting an international discussion about mental health.

Yet Biles is determined to write a different ending to the story in Paris. The 27-year-old American star wasn’t dealing with any sort of block or trauma but something far more common to gymnasts, particularly ones who have been doing this two decades.

Just like in Tokyo, Biles and Faustin briefly disappeared. Unlike Tokyo, Biles returned not in a sweatsuit but with her left leg heavily taped after tweaking her calf during her warm-up on floor exercise. She spent the rest of the afternoon walking around with a noticeable limp everywhere except the competition floor.

The woman who has been saying over and over and over this isn’t 2021 went out and proved it on Sunday inside star-studded Bercy Arena, shaking off what U.S. coach Cecile Landi described as a minor calf issue to post the top score in the all-around and put whatever lingering ghosts there may be from Tokyo in the rearview mirror.

Biles finished at 59.566, well clear of reigning Olympic champion and teammate Sunisa Lee, saluting the crowd after her dismount on uneven bars, her final event. She hopped off the podium, danced with good friend Jordan Chiles and has no plans to stop her quest for gold in Tuesday’s team final and Thursday’s individual all-around.

“It was pretty amazing, 59.5,” Landi said. “Not perfect so she can improve even (but) … just really good.”

Landi said the issue popped up a couple of weeks ago and described it as minor. There was no discussion of Biles pulling out.

Instead, Landi and her husband Laurent — who have long served as Biles’ personal coach in Texas — encouraged her to take a breath and keep going as Laurent applied heavy doses of tape to her leg.

“We told her to remind herself, like she’s capable of doing it,” Landi said. “She knows she’s got it and it’s OK and then she did. So, really excited for her.”

The issue hardly slowed Biles. She posted the highest score on floor and vault through two subdivisions, a position she’ll likely find herself in at the end of the day as she tries to add to her career total of seven Olympic medals.

The only adjustment she made was deciding to skip attempting a unique skill on uneven bars she submitted to the International Gymnastics Federation on Friday. Instead, she did her usual set to score a 14.333.

The Americans scored a 172.296, well clear of the field after two subdivisions as they search for what they’re calling “redemption” after finishing runner-up to Russia three years ago.

“They’re happy and relieved,” Landi said. “Day one, now moving on to team finals, all-around finals, a couple event finals hopefully.”

Landi said Biles’ leg was feeling better as she moved through the events and expects her to be available going forward.

The injury added a dash of drama to an event that’s become a must-see for athletes and celebrities alike.

The stands were buzzing and filled with stars. Tom Cruise posed for selfies while waiting for Biles to emerge. Snoop Dogg had front-row seats, and Ariana Grande, Jessica Chastain, John Legend and Anna Wintour were also on hand.

Biles arrived in Paris as the face of the U.S. Olympic movement and maybe the Olympics themselves. The buzz around her return to the Games has been palpable, with NBC leaning heavily into her star power by splashing Biles’ face on countless promotions in the lead-up to Paris.

Her gravitational pull is real. Athletes across the Olympic spectrum have said they want to make it a point to catch the most decorated gymnast of all time in what could be the final competition of her unparalleled career. Among them: LeBron James and the U.S. men’s basketball team, which was busy Sunday with Olympic qualifying.