Three years almost to the day later, there Simone Biles was again, alone on the floor of an Olympic arena, her thoughts her own, as the world wondered if she would continue competing. Just as she did in Tokyo, Biles huddled with U.S. gymnastics team doctor Marcia Faustin. Just as she did in Tokyo, Biles briefly disappeared into a back hallway. Just as she did in Tokyo, Biles gave viewers reason to hold their breath.
But Biles is in Paris, and she seems to have left the twisties—the vertigo that sidelined her last time—behind. This time she returned to the floor, limping a bit on her newly taped left calf, and produced simply an astonishing performance to take the lead in nearly every category in the qualifying session on Sunday.
