Tokyo (AFP)

American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles made a muddled debut on Sunday in qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, stepping outside the mats on several occasions, which did not prevent her from finishing first in the all-around competition and to win a ticket for the six finals on the program.

Everyone was waiting for the one who is considered the best gymnast of all time.

How was she going to start the competition?

Visibly nervous, Biles did not fail, but gave some unusual signs of nervousness.

But its level of difficulty allows it to afford this luxury.

So she started the competition on the ground by putting her feet outside the floor, while flying at her average of three meters in height, bringing out her usual and extraordinary panoply of acrobatics.

On the ground, Simone Biles is not used to being second, but in qualifying, she was beaten by Vanessa Ferrari, who is participating in Tokyo in her fourth Olympic Games.

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Tom Foster, one of the USA's team managers, blamed it on "nervousness" and "mental errors".

"We have to stay within the limits", he told the press when asked about what had to be changed for the finals, explaining that he "never saw Simone" landing badly on the beam like Sunday. .

In Biles' wake, the Americans, title holders, qualified unsurprisingly for the team competition, but they were beaten by the Russians (170.562 pts against 171.629 pts for the Russians).

3rd place went to the Chinese (166.863 pts).

- The farewells of Chusovitina -

The French women managed a good performance by finishing fourth and obtaining a ticket for the final of the all-around team competition to be held on Tuesday evening.

The first French Mélanie De Jesus Dos Santos (8th) also qualified for the all-around individual competition, as did the youngest of the team Carolann Héduit.

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"For the team, I am so proud, I was also here for that, we are there", insisted Mélanie De Jesus Dos Santos, saying nevertheless "disappointed" with her performance on the beam, where she failed to get a ticket to the final.

On vault, Biles did not try her new stunt, a double back pike somersault never performed in international competition by a woman, which she keeps up her sleeve for later.

On the other hand, she tested it in training this week in Ariake gymnastics.

But, despite her feet outside the nails, as if she were carried away by her energy that propels her so high, she will play all the finals on the program: all-around team, individual, jump, beam, floor and narrowly. uneven bars that were never his strong suit.

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Biles, five Olympic medals and 19 world titles to his name, can therefore aim for six Olympic titles in the Japanese capital, which would allow him to exceed the record held in gymnastics by the Soviet Larissa Latynina of nine Olympic titles.

At the very end of the day, the Germans stood out with their full body suit which they preferred to leotards, to feel comfortable and comfortable, as they had done in Basel at the last European Championships.

Rare moment of warmth and communion in a room empty of spectators and filled only with staffs and gymnasts: the farewells of Ouzbèke Oksana Chusovitina, dean of gymnasts, at 46, to an ovation and in tears.

© 2021 AFP