Simone Biles injures her leg during the Olympic gymnastics qualifying but still finishes in first place.

 On her first day of competition at the 2024 Olympic Games, gymnast Simone Biles seemed to injure her leg during a warm-up routine. Although the injury raised concerns, she pushed through and completed her routines, finishing in first place.

After the competition, Biles's coach, Cecile Landi, minimized the importance of the injury, stating, "She felt a little something in her calf."

Despite the injury, Biles achieved impressive scores, including a top score of 15.8 on the vault. Along with strong performances from her teammates, this was enough to secure a place for the U.S. women's gymnastics team in the team all-around final on Tuesday, where they are favored to win gold. The individual all-around final is scheduled for Thursday.

Landi stated that there are no concerns "at the moment" regarding Biles's ability to compete in those events.

Biles seemed to injure her leg during a warm-up for the floor exercise, her second event of the night. After landing a pass, she walked off the mat gingerly to consult with her coaches and briefly left the floor. She returned afterward with her ankle and lower calf wrapped in thick athletic tape.

Despite the injury, Biles finished her remaining routines, achieving a top score of 15.8 on the vault. Landi noted that there was "never a question" in her mind about continuing.

Expectations for Biles and the U.S. women's gymnastics team are incredibly high at the Paris Olympic Games.

At 27, Biles has been performing at the peak of her career since returning to competition last year after a two-year break. She is favored to win at least three individual gold medals, along with a team all-around gold for the U.S.

However, an injury could hinder those goals. "First and foremost, I just want to make sure she's physically okay, and then we'll go from there," said women’s team technical lead Chellsie Memmel. "What she was able to do, despite appearing to have some soreness in her lower leg, is remarkable."

Landi revealed that Biles had experienced some calf issues earlier this month. "It stopped after that, but she felt a little pain again today," Landi said. "Just a little pain in her calf."

The U.S. women's team finished their qualification round at the top of the rankings, with gymnasts Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee, the defending gold medalist in the individual all-around, finishing approximately 3.5 points behind Biles.

"It’s clear their goal is to come home with a gold medal," Memmel said.

In three of Sunday’s rounds, Biles performed last, capturing the full attention of a crowd of around 15,000, many of whom, including celebrities Snoop Dogg, Tom Cruise, and Anna Wintour, were there primarily to see her.