PARIS (AFP) – Simone Biles appears to be at the peak of her powers as she leads the United States on a redemption mission in the women's gymnastics team final on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics.
Biles battled the disorientating mental block gymnasts call the "twisties" in Tokyo three years ago, dramatically pulling out of the team final, and the United States settled for silver behind Russia after winning back-to-back golds in 2012 and 2016.
Biles and three other members of that Tokyo team -- Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles -- made it clear that along with 16-year-old Hezly Rivera they were out for nothing less than gold in Paris.
Biles in particular heard from internet trolls who slammed her decision to put her mental health and physical safety first in Tokyo, painting her withdrawal as letting Team USA down.
But whatever she has to prove in Paris, she said, it's only to herself and her teammates.
"It has to be for us," Biles said. "It can't be for anybody else. We do it for ourselves and the love of the sport and the love for representing the USA."
The US combined for the top team score of 172.296 points in qualifying, more than five points better than European champions Italy on 166.861.
China, with the top beam performance from Zhou Yaqin, were third-best on 166.628.
"It was good," coach Cecile Landi said after Biles lit up Bercy Arena in qualifying, topping the standings in all-around, vault and floor exercise, and finishing second on balance beam despite tweaking her left calf and competing with her leg taped.
"It wasn't perfect, but they had a good day," said Landi, who insisted Biles's sore calf was nothing serious.
USA Gymnastics had said Biles could opt out of some apparatus in the team final, but when they announced the lineup on Monday she was down to tackle all four. Chiles, Carey and Lee complete the Americans' team final lineup, with Rivera sitting out.
The qualifying scores are wiped out for the final, where each team will start from scratch.
The format is unforgiving, with three gymnasts from each team competing on each apparatus and all scores counting toward the team total.
Brazil, led by former all-around world champion Rebeca Andrade, qualified fourth for the team event, which will also features Japan, Canada, Great Britain and Romania.