‘The Wires Just Snapped.’ Then Simone Biles Came Back to Win Olympic Bronze

TOKYO—One week ago, the U.S. had just been surpassed by the Russians during the gymnastics qualifying round and Simone Biles faced an unquantifiable pressure to go out and win a third consecutive Olympic team title for her country.

The Americans could hear the buzz of everyone else freaking out, and they went into their next practice in a panic. It went terribly wrong. Her bar routine was a total mess. The beam was surprisingly fine. Then she went to practice her floor routine, did some leaps and turns, and then tried to tumble.

“That’s when the wires just snapped,” Biles said. “Things were just not connecting, and I don’t know what went wrong.”