Naturally, there was drama right up to the end. Two hours into the women’s artistic gymnastics team final, with Team USA comfortably leading, Simone Biles found herself with one last opportunity to steal the spotlight.
Three years after Tokyo and The Breakdown, the concluding act of this current catastrophic team event was Biles’ floor routine. In front of luminaries like Bill Gates, Gianni Infantino, Serena Williams, and Spike Lee, and the watchful eyes of the world, Simone Biles took to the floor to perform as though no one was watching.
Paris 2024 was well aware of what was at stake with these gymnastics exhibitions—a spectacle that unfolded like a hybrid of the Super Bowl, Las Vegas, and a Marvel movie. It was predominantly about America—its flash, its showmanship, its storytelling—highlighting a key event in the summer Games traditionally fueled by US television revenues and sports tourism. In fact, there had not been this many Americans in Paris since 1945.
And of course, it was all about Biles too—her personal brand and the narrative surrounding her. This narrative reached its zenith during an electrifying evening filled with audacious performances, culminating in yet another gold medal for the US women.
That final routine from Biles was nothing short of mesmerizing. She showcased her signature moves—Biles 1 and Biles 2—delivering an awe-inspiring explosion of energy, highlighted by an athletic grace that often appears almost illusory.
What is gymnastics truly? A performance? A sport? At one moment in her balance beam routine, Biles executed an astonishing triple backflip (yes, on a narrow beam) akin to a wheel rolling down a slope, transforming the event into something uniquely captivating—her movements fluid and unlike any other athlete.
As the final scores flashed across the jumbotron, Team USA erupted in exuberance, bouncing and beaming, proudly displaying their flag, almost like children reveling on Christmas morning.
It was a delightful moment, replete with extraordinary significance, encapsulating Biles and her narrative as both a microcosm of an industry and a broader cultural phenomenon. This scene showcased three fundamental aspects of sport: its beauty, its absurdity, and its inherent brutality.
Yet, the beauty and warmth was evident from the moment the teams entered, the US adorned in dazzling white uniforms, while Biles, in her black shoes, looked both thrilled and bewildered as she missed her cue to wave—a true athlete always attuned to the presence of spectators.
Jordan Chiles was the first American to compete on the vault, showcasing her remarkable spring, flexibility, and perfect control over every movement. Soon, gasps and cheers filled the air as a voice announced: “Waiting for the green light will be Simone Biles.”
The shadow of Tokyo 2021 loomed over the event, a calamitous Games that many argue should never have occurred. Tokyo 2020 represented a corporate exploitation, leaving many athletes to recount the psychological toll it imposed.
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Those Covid Games served as a void into which we poured our fears and anxieties. The anticipation around Biles was relentless. However, Biles was also in confinement, compelled to perform at the conclusion of a solitary year filled with rigorous training, to dance for us, to peer into that lens and connect with the world. Athletes like Adam Peaty have detailed the immense strain they felt, and the same goes for Noah Lyles and Caeleb Dressel. Biles has articulated her feelings on the toll of overtraining in isolation, expressing how the movements that once defined her soon became devoid of meaning. Many athletes are increasingly discussing the necessity of achieving success without enduring pain and the importance of fostering a healthier relationship with victory. This may well be the legacy of the Tokyo Games, the Damned Games.
In this competition, her vault was executed seamlessly, followed by a minor leap on landing, which quickly morphed into hugs, high-fives, and a palpable sense of communal relief enveloping the massive venue. By the end of the first rotation, the USA had already established a significant lead, and the atmosphere felt reminiscent of a victory lap—high-fives enthusiastically exchanged as they soared through the beam and bar, and the mat.
By the conclusion of the second rotation, the USA team was busily posing and enjoying the music, truly relishing themselves, presenting a reality that, at times, resembles a form of sport that can feel torturous, yet in these exceptional moments, can also appear as pure play.
Yet, there lies a tension at the core of Biles’ narrative—her catharsis. What harmed Biles was overexposure compounded with loss. The solution offered by sport, it seems, is to amplify exposure while stacking on victories.
Sport can be surreal. It embodies chaotic artistry. Yet, it remains irresistibly alluring in its emotional depths. Biles has revolutionized her sport’s intricacies and provided us with moments of profound beauty along her journey. This event, however, was distinctly for her.
