The legend of gymnastics qualifies for the Paris Olympics in her search to make up for Tokyo's nightmare

 Gymnastics legend Simone Biles has guaranteed herself the opportunity to make up for the nightmare of the Tokyo Games in the summer of 2021 by qualifying for the Paris Olympics scheduled for this summer, after dominating the selection trials for the American team participating in the thirty-third edition of the Summer Games on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Biles closed her trials with another thrilling floor routine, bringing the crowd to its feet for a prolonged standing ovation.

The 27-year-old scored 117,225 points over the two days of competition, securing her direct qualification to Paris 2024 as part of a five-member powerhouse team, where she will compete in individual and group events.

Biles' expected qualification comes after she won the U.S. all-around title in early June for a record ninth time in her storied career.

Biles returned to competition in August 2023 after a one-year hiatus following her collapse at the Tokyo Olympics, where she withdrew from several competitions in the summer of 2021 due to mental health issues and "twists" (loss of balance while spinning in the air).

She shone at the World Cup in Antwerp in early October and showed that she is still the crowned queen on the gymnastics throne. In Belgium, she stunned fans after performing a very difficult and unprecedented vault for an athlete.

Biles is considered one of the most decorated champions in history and was an extraordinary candidate to win six gold medals at the Tokyo Games in the summer of 2021, but she withdrew from most competitions to give priority to her mental health.

The winner of 37 world and Olympic titles suffered from twisties (a potentially dangerous phenomenon that causes gymnasts to lose their sense of direction in the air), which led her to compete in the balance beam final, where she won bronze.

Speaking to a cheering crowd in Minneapolis on Sunday, Biles said, referring to what happened to her in Tokyo in the summer of 2021, "I never imagined that I would be back in the gym, that I would be turning, that I would be feeling free again."

She will be joined in Paris 2024 by three other women from the Tokyo Olympic team: all-around gold medalist Sunny Lee, floor gold medalist Jade Curry and Jordan Chiles, who helped the United States win the team silver medal, as well as 16-year-old Haizley Rivera.

The American trials, always difficult and nerve-wracking, became even more so after three of the top competitors were forced to withdraw due to injury.

Skye Blakely tore her Achilles tendon during practice on Wednesday, while Shaylise Jones injured her left knee during warm-ups on Friday, minutes before Tokyo Olympics alternate Kayla DiCillo suffered what turned out to be an Achilles injury.

The injuries have everyone concerned, but with less than a month to go before the Paris 2024 gymnastics competitions begin, Biles was confident that the team would be at its best, saying, "If we can do what we do in practice, I think we are going to compete very hard" at the Paris Games.