“This is definitely our redemption tour,” Simone Biles had said at the US Olympic trials last month. This statement was made keeping in mind the team’s slip to silver in Tokyo, with Biles and others determined to put things right in Paris. On July 30, Michael Phelps, Jason Kelce, Serena Williams, and thousands of others bore witness to that. The 27-year-old gymnastics legend, who was seen limping a day before, powered through the pain to help Team USA to a gold alongside a personal milestone. As she made history, people in the arena weren’t the only ones loud with celebrations, with the WNBA stars joining in the party.

The team of Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Hezly Rivera finished with 171.296 points to fetch their team gold. USA defeated Italy, who finished second, by nearly six points (165.494) and were seven points ahead of the third-placed Brazilian team (164.497) .“I think we all had something to prove from Tokyo. And tonight we just did that” Biles iterated after the victory

The legendary gymnast became the most decorated U.S. Olympian gymnast in history with 8 medals. 5 of them have been gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze. Although she had a sore calf on Sunday, the 3x Olympian competed across all apparatus for the final, with her best coming on vault with 14.900, courtesy of the Yurchenko double pike.

Jordan Chiles, the 2nd time Olympian, took to all four events. Suni Lee, the reigning all-around Olympic champion graced everything but the vault. Carey, who is reported ill, took the vault for 14.800. The combined efforts helped the USA women’s team win the gold medal for the fourth time at the Olympics.

“It was super exciting. We had fun. We enjoyed each other’s time out there, and we just did our gymnastics,” Biles added in another instance. The conditions weren’t exactly smooth sailing for the athletes considering the city suffered under a heat wave warning – temperatures soaring 35°C (95°F) or higher. But that did not stop Biles from surpassing the legendary Shannon Miller at seven Olympic medals (2 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze).

What made Biles’ performance even more impressive was that less than 48 hours, she overcame a calf pain in qualifying to compete. She entered the finals with her left calf heavily taped. Some might have feared a repeat of Tokyo and the twisties, but she competed in all four events starting the finals with a Cheng vault and concluding it with her signature floor routine.

It all came together for Team USA as they exorcised the ghosts of Tokyo. Speaking afterward, Chiles said, “Having this opportunity definitely felt really good. And being able to be a part of winning this gold medal and everything that I’ve just gone through, it’s just been an amazing experience.” 

This win was a complete team effort and not only on the mat. On Monday, Suni Lee was dealing with nerves and turned to Biles and Chiles for help and they ended up talking in Biles’ room. “I think it just helped us, helped me at least have a better understanding of each other. Just know that I can lean on them whenever I need it. And it helped me a lot.”

Indeed, it helped a lot and the signs of camaraderie were visible as the women cheered and embraced each other after every routine. The confidence grew and so did the gap between them and the chasers.

The US women’s gymnastics team was also cheered on by a star-studded cast of tennis icon Serena Williams, the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, and Super Bowl winner Jason Kelce. The historical night was also met with pride and happiness from the WNBA family.

A’ja Wilson, Dawn Staley, and more send praise for the Golden Achievement

After their silver medal performance in Tokyo, paired with Biles’ withdrawal due to twisties, it was certainly a heartwarming scene to see the team stand atop the podium. 4x Olympic gold medalist in basketball, Lisa Leslie, rightly couldn’t hold her tears as she wrote, “I’m not crying… you’re crying! Congratulations to the women of @USAGym Outstanding.”

It was a testament to Biles’ mental resolve that after her disoriented feeling in Tokyo that left her worried for her safety, she was back on vault for the first event of the final and performed the Cheng vault, which is one of the most difficult in the world.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson also shared her delight at Team USA’s success. She tweeted, “Watching that live was insane! the @USAGym girlies are goated & golden ! 🥇😮‍💨🤍.” Wilson is chasing her own piece of glory in Paris with the USA’s women’s basketball team. The gymnast team’s success could spur Wilson and the rest of the country’s contingent.

Dawn Staley, the 2004 Olympic torch bearer, and current South Carolina Gamecocks HC also extended her wishes for the team, “Congrats ladies! You make us all proud! Yall are HER!!!! And I love it!!!”

This was an round performance where each member of the team stepped up. Suni Lee scored 14.566 on uneven bars while Chiles notched up 14.366 as well in the same event. Chiles also scored 14.400 on the vault and even though she fell off the balance while mounting the beam, the team had steered clear of their nearest challengers, meaning any small hiccups were didn’t effect the outcome.

Relaying the excitement of millions, the Uconn star, Paige Bueckers wrote, “I’m in awe. These ladies are amazing. Goated, all of them! To think I can’t even do a cartwheel!”

” F.A.A.F.O,” is what Simone Biles revealed their team name to be after their winning moment. Beeping the first word, she continued, “around and find out.” The 27-year-old won her first Olympic gold since Rio 2016 and also became the oldest female Olympic champion in any gymnastics event since 1964 this year.

The gymnasts return for individual events on the 31st of July, maybe with a few more cheerful moments in store. Biles could go level with former Soviet gymnast Larisa Semyonovna Latynina, who has 9 gold medals to her name, the most of any gymnast male or female.