“I'd better be!”
These are the words Simone Biles gave when asked if she was fine after limping off the mat while preparing for her floor exercise in 2024 The Paris Olympics women's gymnastics qualifying competition.
Turns out she was more than okay.
In front of a star-studded audience that included Tom Cruise, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga of course, Snoop DoggBiles put on a display of strength, skill and tenacity that left jaws on the floor around the world.
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Despite the injury to her lower left leg, Biles finished the qualifying round atop the all-around leaderboard (59.566) — the highest score any gymnast has earned this Olympic cycle, according to NBC News.
Biles took the no. 1 on vault (15.300) thanks to her masterful execution of the Yurchenko double vault—a move so difficult that many competitors won't even attempt it. She also took first on floor (14.600), finished second on beam (14.733) and eighth on uneven bars (14.433).
Her fans were blown away by the daring performance, including one celebrity who is used to being the center of attention:
Biles' self-assessment — “As good as I can be” — reveals a depth of inner strength and self-honesty that the superstar athlete has fought long and hard to achieve. As many remember, Biles withdrew from as the team final AND all-round competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She later explained that she was experiencing “the twists“, which describes the feeling of disorientation while in the air.
Talking to Hoda Kotb on the Today Show before the 2024 Games, she explained how she was able to overcome this daunting mental and physical obstacle. “I think before I was pushing my trauma away, and now I've learned to talk about it and release it,” Biles said. “I think we used to think of therapy as a weakness, and now I think of it as a strength.”
Not trying to sugarcoat things and recognizing challenges for what they are is a powerful way—and some would say the only way—to give yourself a chance to succeed.
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What's next for Biles? Competing against an impressive field, including reigning Olympic champion Suni Lee, in the all-around final on Tuesday. Here are the rankings for the best teams and individuals, for Yahoo!
Women's team qualification results
1. United States (172,296)
2. Italy (166,861)
3. China (166,628)
4. Brazil (166,499)
5. Japan (162,196)
6. Canada (161,563)
7. Great Britain (160,830)
8. Romania (159,497)
9. The Netherlands (159,096)
10. Australia (158,964)
11. France (158,797)
12. South Korea (152,496)
Women's all-round qualifying results
1. Simone Biles, USA (59,566)
2. Rebeca Andrade, Brazil (57,700)
3. Sunisa Lee, USA (56.132)
4. Jordan Chiles, USA (56,065)
5. Kaylia Nemour, Algeria (55,966)
6. Manila Esposito, Italy (55,898)
7. Alice D'Amato, Italy (55,432)
8. Qiu Qiyuan, China (54,998)
9. Ellie Black, Canada (54,766)
10. Rina Kishi, Japan (54,699)