Simone Biles makes long-awaited Olympic return in Paris

The enthusiastic crowd, filled with celebrities, erupted in cheers and applause as she led the U.S. gymnasts to the top spot in women's qualifying.

Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, overcame the challenges she faced at the Tokyo Games, where she experienced the "twisties."

Despite doubts about her future in the Olympics, Biles took a two-year break and with the support of her teammates and therapist, she made a triumphant comeback in Paris.

Her exceptional performance at the Bercy Arena showcased her resilience and determination, solidifying her position as one of the greatest athletes of all time. In the all-around competition,

Biles demonstrated her readiness to claim more gold medals by securing the top spot in the qualifying standings with a remarkable score of 59.566, leaving her closest competitor, reigning Olympic champion Sunisa Lee, more than three points behind.

Starting on the challenging balance beam, Biles scored 14.733 points, just 0.133 points shy of Zhou Yaqin from China.

Biles, adorned in a sparkling leotard adorned with Swarovski crystals, smiled and exhaled as she gazed up at the scoreboard, appearing relieved after executing an impressive routine on the first apparatus.

However, she appeared less satisfied with her floor exercise, which had a few minor errors but still garnered a score of 14.600, securing her the top spot for that particular event.

Despite competing with her left ankle taped, Biles brushed off her somber expression following the floor routine and delivered a remarkable 15.300 on the vault.

Biles' double-piked Yurchenko vault is so challenging that its initial value is several tenths of a point higher than any other vault performed by female gymnasts at the Paris Games.

"I believe she competes in a league of her own," remarked British gymnast Ruby Evans about Biles. "We have never seen anyone like her before, and I doubt we ever will again."

On Sunday, Biles did not execute the original skill on the uneven bars that she had submitted for approval, but she will have another opportunity to try it during the women's final on Tuesday.

Following her flawless dismount, Biles joyfully high-fived her coach Laurent Landi and hurried to the edge of the mat to greet the ecstatic crowd with waves and blown kisses.

Her provisional score of 14.433 placed her in eighth position, making it unlikely for her to qualify for the bars final with three more subdivisions to go in the qualifying round on Sunday.

In her second Games, Jordan Chiles of the United States had a strong start with solid performances on every apparatus.

Lee, who also won a bronze on the bars in Tokyo, achieved the third highest score on the apparatus despite her battles with kidney disease raising doubts about her return to competition.

Biles' compatriot Jade Carey stumbled at the end of her last tumbling pass on the floor exercise, costing her the chance to defend her Olympic title on the apparatus in Paris.

Gasps and looks of disbelief filled the arena as Carey stumbled backwards and sat down on the mat, leaving her with a score of 10.633 and in last place among the 30 gymnasts who had competed on the floor so far.

Only the top eight athletes, with a maximum of two per country, will advance to the apparatus finals.