It almost happened again.

During the Olympic qualification round, Simone Biles suffered an injury.

While Team USA was warming up on floor, Biles walked off with medical staff, returning minutes later with a heavily taped calf. She pushed through, but an event later, she was crawling down the runway, unable to walk.

Panic among Team USA began to settle in – it was a scene reminiscent of Biles’ mental health crisis that forced her to withdraw midway through the team final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, leaving Team USA to settle for silver in her absence.

Jordan Chiles – the former UCLA gymnastics phenom who deferred the 2024 season to train for the Games – was unphased amid the panic for her second straight Olympics. Scoring a 56.065 in the all-around and securing a spot in the floor final, Chiles remained focused when Team USA needed her the most at the women’s artistic gymnastics qualification round at the Paris Olympics.

Chiles placed fourth overall in the all-around but failed to advance to the finals due to the two-per-country rule. Reigning Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee earned the second United States spot, outscoring Chiles by just .067. Biles took the top spot, as expected, scoring a competition-leading 59.566.

The meet started strong for Chiles, scoring a 13.600 on beam. The Americans rotated to the floor next, and Chiles once again delivered with a 13.866, qualifying for the event final. Reigning Olympic floor champion Jade Carey struggled in her routine, only performing a back tuck as her final element, resulting in a 10.633 tally.

The U.S. bounced back on the next event, where Chiles hit both her vaults to place fourth overall. Once again, the two-per-country rule prevented Chiles from advancing to the final after Carey edged her out by one spot. Biles led all competitors, despite barely being able to walk minutes before her routine – a testament to Biles’ perseverance.

The Americans finished their day on bars. Chiles was second in the all-around after three rotations, with Lee trailing behind her in third. With the all-around final on the line, Chiles hit the target – scoring a 14.266. Lee needed higher than a 14.799 to pass Chiles, which she managed with a 14.866, knocking Chiles out of the all-around final.

Team USA finished day one of their Olympic competition on top, with Chiles headed off to the floor final. Biles’s injury was later announced to be a calf flare up which has since healed – the gymnastics dynamo should be available to compete in the five competitions she qualified for.

Rising senior Emma Malabuyo’s qualifications in subdivision three began two hours after Chiles’. Representing her home country, Malabuyo competed alongside fellow Team USA-turned-Team Philippines gymnasts Aleah Finnegan and Levi Jung-Ruivivar. She competed in the all-around and placed 41st overall.

Malabuyo started her day on beam, nearly falling on her newly-added standing Arabian. She fought through the rest of the routine to score a 12.233. Next, she headed to floor, completing her double layout for the first time since 2021. She finished her day on vault and then bars, recording season-highs on both events.

Despite not qualifying for any event finals, Malabuyo took pride in competing in the qualifying rounds after almost missing a ticket to the Games.

“I’m an Olympian!” she told the LA Times after her rotations.

Chiles will compete in the team final on July 30, returning to Bercy Arena for the third time. Despite not advancing to the all-around final, Chiles is slotted to repeat her duties on all four events in the team final, contributing to the American’s chance at a redemption gold medal.