Paris –

From the beginning of the competition until the end, there was no question that Simone Biles and the United States women’s gymnastics team were out for gold. Everyone else was competing for a spot on the podium.

Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee led from start to finish as the U.S. cruised to the gold medal in the women’s team gymnastics final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday. Hezly Rivera is also part of the team but did not compete.

"We're super excited,” Biles said. “We're honored to represent the U.S. every time we get on a world stage, but accomplishing that gold and that goal was just an amazing feeling.

"I think we all had something to prove from Tokyo and tonight we did just that," she added.

"It means the world. This was our goal going in, even though we didn't share it with everybody because it's just a personal thing that we were working on. But I think for everybody, it's what we came here to do, and we're super excited to walk away with that gold medal."

It’s the fifth Olympic gold for Biles, who was the last gymnast to perform and had Bercy Arena, which was filled with loud and exuberant American fans, rocking as she tumbled and flipped during an electric floor routine.

The United States finished with a total score of 171.296, 5.802 points ahead of Italy. The Americans ranked first on all four apparatus during the competition. Brazil earned bronze with a score of 164.497. Japan, competing without captain Shoko Miyata, finished last among the eight teams in the final at 159.463.

For Biles, the gold medal comes three years after she pulled out of the team final at the Tokyo Games over mental health concerns, including "the twisties" (when a gymnast becomes disoriented in the air). She later pulled out of the individual all-around competition at those Olympics.

Biles’ openness about her struggle helped spark widespread conversation about mental health across the sports world and led to changes in many areas.

Biles pulled out after one rotation on the vault in Tokyo. She began on the vault in Paris and stuck her landing, receiving a score of 14.9 to alleviate any lingering doubts.

"After I finished vault, I was relieved, because at least no flashbacks or anything," Biles said with a laugh. “But I did feel a lot of relief, and as soon as I landed vault, I was like, 'Oh yeah, we're going to do this.'"

Chiles, who was also on the team in Tokyo, where the U.S. earned silver, felt the same.

"That's definitely what I was thinking," Chiles said. "I was like, yo, hallelujah, no flashbacks, no nothing. That was like, OK, all she needs to do is do her normal. So me jumping up and down was just like (in) relief. From then on ... she's the greatest of all greats, so I think it was kind of like, 'OK we're about to really do this and just go out there and be us."

Biles became the most decorated American gymnast of all time with the win, breaking a tie with Shannon Miller with her eighth medal.

"I would've had to Google that," Biles said. "I'm not really sure, I don't keep count, I don't keep stats. I just go out here and do what I'm supposed to, and I'm doing what I love and enjoying it. That's really all that matters to me."

Chiles was the first U.S. gymnast to perform and was solid all night. She competed on all four apparatus, but will not get a chance to vie for the all-around title after finishing behind Biles and Lee, the reigning champion, in the preliminaries. Each nation is allowed a maximum of two gymnasts in the final.

"Honestly, the two per country thing is ... I don't like it," Chiles said. "But you know, 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 has just been an amazing experience. So I'm really just proud of each and every one of us that are up here."