Simone Biles, Team USA take aim at gold in women’s gymnastics team final

By WILL GRAVES, AP National Writer

PARIS (AP) — American gymnastics star Simone Biles is inside Bercy Arena for the women’s team final. Biles is competing after tweaking her left calf during qualifying on Sunday.

The five-woman U.S. squad of Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera are heavily favored to return to the top of the medal stand in Paris after finishing second to Russia at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

The Americans will be paired with Italy, a surprise runner-up in qualifying.

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States competes on the vault during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States reacts during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States reacts after competing on the vault during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States reacts after competing on the vault during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States competes on the vault during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States reacts with her coach Laurent Landi after competing on the vault during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Jordan Chiles of Team United States looks on during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: (L-R) Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles of Team United States look on during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Spike Lee is seen during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Team USA poses ahead of the start of the artistic gymnastics women’s team final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT – US’ Simone Biles competes in the vault event of the artistic gymnastics women’s team final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

President of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Organising Committee (Cojo) Tony Estanguet (2ndL) and US former tennis player Serena Williams (C) wait for the start of the artistic gymnastics women’s team final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)

US’ Jade Carey competes in the floor exercise event of the artistic gymnastics women’s team final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

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PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States competes on the vault during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Biles is scheduled to compete on all four events despite the injury in her return to the team final. She was in the lineup for every event in Tokyo before removing herself from the competition to focus on her mental health after a wonky vault in the first rotation left her concerned she couldn’t protect herself in the air.

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Chiles will also do all four alongside her friend and longtime teammate at World Champions Centre, the gym in the northern Houston suburbs owned by the Biles family.

Lee will compete on uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise with Jade Carey, joining Biles and Chiles on the vault.

Italy, China and Brazil were tightly grouped in a pack over five points behind the Americans in qualifying, a massive margin in a sport usually decided by fractions. Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade is perhaps Biles’ biggest competition in the all-around.

The U.S. and Italy will do vault first, followed by uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.

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