CELEBRITY
Simone Biles wins at first competition after 2020 Olympics slump
American star gymnast, Simone Biles Owens, has won her first competition, two years after a difficult run at the Tokyo Olympics.
The athlete faced several difficulties at the 2021 competition including “twisties”, a condition which makes gymnasts lose orientation mid-air.
She also revealed she had been dealing with mental health issues during the period after losing a family member.
Biles withdrew from several events at the games citing concerns for her mental health and physical safety. She however won third place at the beam finals in the competition.
The Olympian made her return on Saturday night at the U.S Classics and thrilled the crowd with her winning performance.
She participated on the uneven bars in which she scored 14.0, her lowest in the game. She also landed 14.8 and 14.9 points for her beam and floor exercises routines respectively. Her vault routine earned her 15.4 points and 59.1 points in total for the competition.
Biles placed first at the competition which was held in Chicago. She was followed by Leanne Wong, who scored 54.1 points in total. The win qualifies Biles to compete at the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships which will take place at California, later in August.