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SO SHE IS HUMAN AFTER ALL

BILES’ FACE SAYS IT ALL AS MOST DECORATED GYMNAST EVER PUTS A RARE FOOT WRONG

IAN HERBERT

SIMONe BIleS entered these Games as Tokyo’s defining athlete; an individual creating a new lexicon and limits. her supremacy seemed beyond question.

The sight of her marching stonyfaced out of the gymnastics arena yesterday, fastidiously avoiding eye contact with those looking to ask questions about her performance, was a salutary reminder that no one is above the contest. The uncertainties of sport are what make it so compelling.

Some perspective is needed. Biles made three extraordinary false steps, with flawed dismounts on the beam and vault, as well as a twisting double back somersault that sent her flying out of bounds on the floor. Yet she still finished All-Around qualifying in first place and could win six golds at these Games.

But there was proof of mortality and possibly even complacency. After the vault landing which sent her right foot off the mat came a vivid facial expression that is destined to become one of the iconic clips of these Games.

Biles rolled her eyes and flashed a sheepish grin. It was hard to avoid the thought that talk of her being insuperable had removed a fraction of the competitive edge.

her floor landing shocked the most. Biles had barely taken to the arena at the time, shrugging off her backpack in a way which suggested an impatience to compete. her compatriots in the Ariake Gymnastics Centre gasped as she landed off the mat and even off the raised competition floor. her awkward landing, several inches below the level of the mat, could have done her ankle ligament damage.

There was redemption on the vault, where her second performance was the day’s most outstanding — though there has as yet been no sign of the much-anticipated Yurchenko double pike which no woman has ever attempted in competition.

On the beam, which has always tested her most, she over-rotated her full-twisting double back somersault, stumbling out of the landing position to record an underwhelming 14.066 points, the seventh-best score of the day in that discipline.

There is no time to recover poise or catch a breath when you are Biles. Flushed after the floor display, the 24-yearold fanned herself with her hand. A camera crew immediately loomed in on her and she regained her persona, blowing a kiss towards the seating area.

It didn’t help that her teammates were distinctly beneath their anticipated level, contributing to what had become a US national inquisition by the end of the day, as the gymnasts representing Russia qualified for the team event ahead of them.

The divisive USA Gymnastics performance director Tom Forster admitted Biles’ steps out of bounds had not helped.

Asked how the team could improve before tomorrow’s finals, he said: ‘Fixing steps on the floor. Simone took three big steps and I’ve never seen her do that before. These things are all fixable.’

But it was a far worse day for Jordan Chiles, whose 40th-place finish in the All-Around standings fell far below US expectations. MyKayla Skinner, controversially pre-selected for individual disciplines and not the USA team event, will not take a medal now, despite outperforming Grace

McCallum, who made the team. Forster curiously insisted that selection decisions were not made on the basis of medals alone. ‘We did not make decisions over a couple of tenths for a medal,’ he said. Many Americans would feel he should have done.

The hand-wringing was a far cry from the refreshing outcome for the young British team, who had competed three hours earlier.

The 16-year-old twins Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova had minimal experience. Yet their excellent performances put them both into the All-Around final for the best 24 gymnasts. They also helped Great Britain into the final for the top eight teams.

It was on the floor that the sisters’ supreme confidence revealed itself, with Jessica’s score the fifth-best of qualifying and only a tenth of a point behind Biles.

Their delight afterwards was a contrast to the Americans’ po-faced reluctance to speak.

‘I love to do floor so much,’ said Jennifer, who finished ninth there.

‘I love to perform. Not a lot of people can do that because they’re nervous and find it hard to interact with others through their emotions. I think that’s something me and my sister are really good at and really works.’

She was one place outside the top eight that would have seen her reach the floor final, though Jessica comfortably made it.

Becky Downie’s omission from the team remains controversial. The score in uneven bars — where Downie excels — was down 2.400 on the world championship qualification last year. It was a particularly tough session for Alice Kinsella, whose disappointing landings in uneven bars and vault left her visibly upset.

Biles and Co will certainly return with something to prove. ‘We had some things to work on before the finals,’ said Forster, who insisted his team had not taken winning for granted. ‘This could be a good awakening for us. And we’ll take it.’

TOKYO 2020

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2021-07-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

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