Simone Biles dominates US Classic in first event since Olympics

• Simone Biles made a triumphant return to gymnastics after a two-year absence.
• She won the US Classic with an overall score of 59.100 points.
• Biles’ return to gymnastics is a major inspiration to athletes everywhere.

After a two-year absence, four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles triumphantly returned to the sport of gymnastics on Saturday, dominating the US Classic in her first event since the Olympics in Tokyo.

A sellout crowd in a suburb of Chicago was electrified by 19-time world champion Biles’ breathtaking performance, which earned her an overall judges’ score of 59.100 points.

“Tonight went really well,” Biles said. “Everything has fallen into place. I feel really good about where I am now mentally and physically.

“I still think there are some things to work on in my routine but, for the first meet back, I would say it went pretty well. I’m very shocked and surprised. I’m very happy now that that is out of the way.”

The competition was the final opportunity to qualify for the US Nationals in three weeks in San Jose, California. Biles also hoped to contend for a title at the World Championships in Antwerp in October.

After taking a long vacation following her remarkable performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which included gold in the all-around, vault, floor, and team events, Biles used the US Classic as her return competition in 2018.

Although Biles has not declared her intention to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Paris, her outstanding return performance at the Classic at the age of 26 may be a first step in that direction.

“We’re still in the working steps,” Biles said when asked about the Paris Games. “My main goal was this and then championships and after that we’ll look on to worlds and then we’ll see.

“So far it’s heading in the right direction but I still have to work on myself. I’m still going to do my therapy. I’m going to put myself first.”

Biles struggled with mental health concerns and the “twisties” at the 2021 Olympics in Japan, a disorienting sensation that puts gymnasts at more risk for injury after landing.

Before winning bronze on the balance beam, she withdrew from the floor exercise, all-around, vault, uneven bars, and the Olympic team competition due to an injury.

“I always kind of knew (I’d return) as soon as everything happened in Tokyo,” she said. “This time I’m doing it for me.

“I worked a lot on myself and I believe in myself a little bit more. It’s just coming back out here and starting those first steps again.”

‘Made my heart melt’

Biles’ problems in Tokyo have brought attention to the difficulties that top athletes face with their mental health. She still faces them, but she is not alone since she has cheering fans who shout their approval at every move she makes.

“Everyone that was cheering — made posters, all of that in the crowd — it just made my heart melt that they still believe in me,” Biles said.

“It means the world because after everything that transpired in Tokyo, I worked on myself a lot,” Biles said.

“I still do therapy weekly and it has just been so exciting to come out here and have the confidence I had before.

“It means the world because I feel like I lost a part of that sometimes, so to come back out here and do what I did tonight and have that support from the fans and everybody watching, I just couldn’t thank them enough.”

Biles admitted to feeling nervous, but the competition didn’t feel much different from her previous ones. She started on the uneven bars, where she delivered a strong performance and received a score of 14.000 points, ranking third overall.

Moving on to the balance beam, Biles went first and amazed everyone with a spectacular routine, earning the top score of the meet with 14.800 points.

On the floor exercise in rotation three, Biles received cheers from the audience for her flawless tumbling runs and incredible flips and landings. Her effort was rewarded with the meet’s best score of 14.900 points.

Finishing on vault, Biles delivered yet another outstanding performance, soaring high and landing perfectly, showing no signs of rust from her long layoff. She earned the meet’s highest score of 15.400 points on this apparatus.

“After every routine, it got a little bit easier,” Biles said.

Joscelyn Roberson, 17, finished third on 54.050, five points behind leader Leanne Wong, 19, who finished second on 54.100.

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