On July 28th, the arena fell into a breathless hush, a collective shh of concern rippling through the crowd as Simone Biles faced an injury scare during the Olympic round qualifications. The tension was visible when Biles aggravated a lower left leg injury. But Biles, came back to the stage just to conquer it with the signature Yurchenko double pike! The suspense didn’t end just there! On July 30th, Team USA’s chances hung by a thread against a formidable Italian team. It all boiled down to one final floor routine that could decide the fate of Team USA.

As Simone Biles stepped onto the floor, the American crowd held its breath, eyes wide with hope, hanging on to every move she made. And she nailed it! The arena erupted in cheers, the air thick with the rush of goosebumps as Team USA clinched victory. Thus Team USA scored a total score of 171.296, nearly six points clear of Italy (165.494). But was it the ultimate moment for everyone? Might be. But well, we at EssentiallySports, reporting live from Paris, got the inside scoop from Carly Patterson, the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around title in a non-boycotted Games, who sheds light on the unforgettable moment she saw in Olympic history on the 30th July.

Shreya Verma, our reporter in Paris had an exclusive interview with Carly Patterson: the all-around champion from the 2004 Olympics and a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, about the recent Team USA victory, Carly was over the moon.

EssentiallySports: “How was the experience today?” Reflecting on the fabulous gymnastics event, she shared her thoughts.

Carly Patterson shared, “It was soo good. Oh my goodness, the crowd was crazy—there were so many Team USA fans, and they were so loud, waving flags and chanting ‘USA!’ I mean, every time the USA girl went up to compete, the place erupted. It was so cool.”

EssentiallySports’ reporter Shreya Verma asked, “What was your favorite moment? “

Carly Patterson shared, “ My favorite moment? Gosh, I guess when they were finishing up on the floor routines. I think they just knew they had done it, and you could tell they were having fun and relaxing a little bit because they could. Just seeing them really enjoy the moment, soak it in, and know that they did their job was amazing.”

The five-woman squad of Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera posted a combined score of 171.296. That made America win and finish nearly six points ahead of Italy with a score of 165.494. Brazil took bronze with 164.497, marking their first-ever team medal!

The US team started strong on vault, with Chiles and Carey landing solid performances before Biles executed a high-scoring Cheng, despite opting out of the more difficult Yurchenko double pike. Biles’ score of 14.900 helped the team build an early lead of 1.434 points over China. On uneven bars, Biles delivered one of her best routines of the competition with a score of 14.366, while Lee topped the charts with 14.566, igniting chants of “U-S-A!” from the crowd. By the time they reached the beam, the Americans had a commanding 3.102-point lead over Italy. Despite a fall from Chiles, Lee, and Biles’ performances extended the lead to 3.602 points.

The final event, the floor exercise, was where the Americans truly stole the show. Lee and Chiles both performed routines that had the crowd on their feet. Lee’s routine, full of dynamic tumbling passes and crisp landings, earned her a score of 13.533, while Chiles dazzled with her energetic performance, scoring 13.966. When Biles took the floor to close the competition, the atmosphere was electric. Performing to Taylor Swift’s “Ready for It?”, Biles delivered a routine packed with complexity and difficulty.

Though she stepped out of bounds twice, she stuck both her tumbling passes with impressive control. Her score of 14.666, combined with her teammates’ earlier performances, made sure the Americans crossed the finish line in style. The crowd erupted in applause as the team, including Rivera, the youngest member who contributed to their success despite not being part of the final routine, celebrated their ninth consecutive medal in the team event and the fourth women’s team gold in Olympic history. However, most recently, Carly Patterson also supported Simone Biles when critics called her, a “quitter”.

Carly Patterson defends Simone Biles amidst criticism

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics did not go as Simone Biles had hoped. Facing formidable challenges such as mental health issues and the disorienting “twisties,” which disrupted her spatial awareness, Biles made the difficult decision to withdraw from several events. This choice sparked significant criticism, with some unfairly labeling her a “quitter.” Nevertheless, Biles’ decision to step back brought crucial attention to the importance of mental health in sports, shedding light on the intense pressures that elite athletes face at the highest levels of competition.

After returning to the sport with renewed determination, Simone Biles made America proud by clinching her fifth Olympic gold medal. She anchored the United States to a commanding victory in the women’s gymnastics team final on Tuesday afternoon at the Bercy Arena. Before her spectacular performance, Carly Patterson publicly defended Biles in a recent interview with EssentiallySports. Patterson, who attended the US trials where Biles rocked, emphasized the immense pressures gymnasts face and highlighted the crucial importance of mental well-being.

“And these are people that most of the time have never even done gymnastics or a sport and they don’t know what goes into it or how difficult it truly is, or they’ve never ever and never will be under a pressure situation like Olympic trials, the Olympic games, like all of these things that we have to deal with. And it is very, very difficult mentally, physically, and emotionally for us to be able to do this and to basically make it look effortless like we don’t ever struggle, right?,” Carly Patterson explained to EssentiallySports.

Carly Patterson further added, “The internet, you know, they can say anything. Everybody has the courage to say anything behind a computer screen, things that they would never say to anybody’s face. And the thing about it is, for anything in gymnastics, even whether it’s mental, whether it’s physical, whether it’s them not performing their best, people are so quick to tear people down so easily.”

So, let bygones be bygones and turn your eyes to the future. What do you think, will Biles be part of LA 2028 after her recent outstanding performance? Stay connected with EssentiallySports to find out more.