Simone Biles and her US women's gymnastics team — dubbed the "Golden Girls" — took Olympic gold in Tuesday's team all-around final, leading after every rotation to finish a dominant 5.80 points ahead of second place.
With high difficultly levels and only one fall, the US's "redemption tour" passed its first major Olympic test of 2024, earning Team USA their third team gold over the last four Games.
Italy took silver, marking their first women's team medal in almost a century, while bronze medalists Brazil earned their first-ever medal in women's gymnastics.
Veterans fuel USA gymnastics' Olympic comeback
Though their Olympic pedigrees can't be denied, Biles, Suni Lee, and Jordan Chiles's collective comeback is now the stuff of legend.
Biles stuck her performances on all four apparatuses, putting to rest any doubts after a case of the twisties caused her to withdraw from the team and individual all-around in Tokyo. Meanwhile, reigning Olympic all-around champion Lee had to overcome rare kidney disease to make her Olympic return, putting in confident routines on three apparatuses in yesterday's final.
In her long-awaited triumph, Chiles earned her first Olympic gold after taking silver in the team event in Tokyo.
Consistency key to US gold medal
Team USA showed their depth despite losing key contributors to injury at last month's Trials, prioritizing stuck routines in an overall steady showing. Biles performed a less taxing Cheng vault as compared to her famed Yurchenko double pike on the team's first rotation, though the historic vault could make a return in the individual all-around competition.
Jordan Chiles suffered the team's only fall — during her mount on balance beam — but shined on floor in the team's last rotation.
Next, all eyes turn to Thursday's individual all-around final, where Biles, Lee, and Brazil's Rebeca Andrade are the gymnasts to watch in the quest for gold.
