Meet All the Women on the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team

The United States women's gymnastics team is a formidable institution. The team won gold at the last two summer Olympic Games (in 2012 and 2016) and, on the individual level, the last four gold medalists in the all-around event all came from Team U.S.A. This year's team is a promising group. Of course, Simone Biles started out leading the pack as the most decorated gymnast on the team. Widely recognized to be one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, Biles adopted the GOAT moniker, often emblazoning the animal on her leotards in crystals. However, Biles is not alone in her exceptional gymnastic ability; 18 year-old Sunisa Lee has the hardest uneven bars routine in the world. The Olympic group consists of six members, though four compete in the team event and two as individuals, a new structure for the Tokyo Games.

Tokyo has not been without its challenges for Team U.S.A. Kara Eaker, an alternate member on the team, tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday despite being fully vaccinated. She is one of two U.S. athletes to contract the virus after arriving in Japan, while Tokyo is in a state of emergency due to rising cases. The whole gymnastics team left the Olympic Village for increased safety precautions.

In the team finals, the obstacles mounted. In a stunning decision, Simone Biles withdrew from the team competition after performing on the vault. Biles, a champion vaulter, received an uncharacteristically low score after toning down her originally planned routine. She then was then spotted leaving the competition floor with a coach.

U.S.A. Gymnastics then issued a statement that said: “Simone has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.” The New York Times reported that Biles was "not in the right place mentally" to compete. Biles later announced that she withdrew due to her mental health.

“At the end of the day, I have to do what was right for me,” she said, “It just sucks that it happened at the Olympic Games.”

After Biles's withdrawal, Russia proceeded to win gold in the team competition, an event the U.S. has won for more than a decade. Biles also withdrew from the all-around competition, and the uneven bars, floor, and vault events. A statement from U.S.A. gymnastics noted that Biles withdrew from the all-around "in order to focus on her mental health." U.S.A. gymnastics said that they "wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many."

In a field without Biles, Sunisa Lee, an 18 year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota, won the gold medal in the all-around individual competition. Lee is a first generation American and the first Hmong-American to compete in the Olympics. She beat out Rebeca Andrade of Brazil (who won silver) and Angelina Melnikova of Russia (the bronze medalist) with solid routines across the board, along with her acclaimed uneven bars routine.

“I didn’t even think I’d ever get here,” Lee said, per the New York Times. “It doesn’t even feel like I’m in real life.”

All that remained were the individual event competitions, in which the Americans excelled. Suni Lee won bronze in uneven bars; Jade Carey earned gold on floor; and MyKayla Skinner took home silver in vault. The last event was the beam final, where Biles returned to the Olympic stage and earned a bronze medal. In total, the American women's gymnastics team took home six Olympic medals—two gold, two silver, and two bronze.

Below, find out more about the world-famous U.S. gymnastics team here.