PARIS, July 26 (AFP): Simone Biles headlines a US women's squad on a "redemption" mission at the Paris Olympics, where the gymnastics great is favored to add to her stash of four gold medals after a turbulent Tokyo campaign.
Amid Biles's highly publicized troubles with the "twisties" and her withdrawal from multiple events at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, the US women settled for team silver.
With Biles back -- along with Tokyo all-around gold medalist Suni Lee, Tokyo team silver medallist Jordan Chiles and 2020 floor exercise champion Jade Carey -- the Americans are odds-on favorites to regain the gold and Biles herself agrees with that assessment.
"Everybody probably looks at the team, like 'OK, they went to Tokyo and this, this and this happened," she said. "And what are they going to do here in Paris?'
"But for us, I know we're stronger than what we showed in Tokyo."
The absence of Russia only bolsters America's team chances. China's women boast formidable talent but have struggled with consistency and haven't earned a team Olympic medal since their historic gold in Beijing in 2008 followed by bronze in 2016.
Brazil, led by the exciting Rebeca Andrade, have emerged as the strongest challengers to the US and will be aiming to build on their team silver at the 2023 World Championships -- the first team medal in the country's history.
Other team medal contenders include European champions Italy, with European all-around champion Manila Esposito spearheading their bid for a first Olympic team medal since 1928.
A strong French squad, led by Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos and three-time Olympian Marine Boyer, will be hoping to be buoyed by home fans as China were in 2008.
The French signalled their intentions with a historic team bronze at the World Championships last year.
Biles is the overwhelming favorite to reclaim the all-around crown she captured as part of scintillating four-gold haul in Rio de Janeiro.
Lee could find herself with an unlikely chance to defend her title after battling not one but two career-threatening kidney ailments that require ongoing treatment, although Chiles also has a solid chance to grab the second all-around competition berth for the US.
World champion Andrade, China's Qiu Qiyuan, De Jesus Dos Santos, Esposito and South Korean Yeo Seo-jeong -- the Tokyo bronze medallist -- will likely be in the medal mix.
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