Simone Biles is heading back to the Olympics and the spotlight that comes with it.
The gymnastics superstar earned a third trip to her sport’s biggest stage by cruising to victory at the US Olympic trials on Sunday night, posting a two-day all-around total of 117.225 to clinch the lone automatic spot on the five-woman team.
Three years removed from the Tokyo Olympics – where she withdrew from some of her events to prioritize her safety and mental health – Biles heads back to the Games looking perhaps as good as ever.
“Trusting the process and [my coaches], I knew I’d be back,” Biles said.
She’ll head to Paris as a prohibitive favorite to bookend the Olympic gold she won in 2016, but with areas to work on, too.
Biles backpedaled after landing her Yurchenko double pike vault, a testament to both the vault’s difficulty and the immense power she generates during a skill few male gymnasts try and even fewer land as cleanly.