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Unbeaten in any all-around competition she entered since 2013,
Biles was considered a lock to defend her title until Tuesday
when the 24-year-old sent shockwaves through the Tokyo Games
after dropping out of the team event following her opening
vault.
In a stunning admission Biles later explained that the pressure
of living up to expectations and her quest for a record gold
medal haul had left her no choice but to drop out for her own
mental health.
USA Gymnastics (USAG) confirmed on Wednesday that Biles would
not take part in the all-around but did not rule her returning
for next week's apparatus finals.
"After further evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the
final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics,
in order to focus on her mental health," said the USAG.
As gymnasts prepared for Thursday's all-around battle it was
left to Sunisa Lee and Biles replacement Jade Carey to defend
the title she won at the Rio Olympics.
Carey, the next highest ranked American behind Biles and Lee in
qualifying, was denied the chance at a medal due to the two
athletes per nation quota restrictions placed on the all-around.
By no means will Carey be considered a long-shot having placed
ninth in Sunday's qualifying.
But the United States best hope of hanging onto the all-around
crown for a fifth straight Olympics will likely rest with Lee.
The 18-year-old Hmong American flashed her all-around
credentials at the U.S. Trials where she outscored Biles on the
second day of the two day competition and then underscored that
potential in Tokyo placing third in qualifying behind Biles and
Brazilian Rebecca Andrade.
Russia, competing in Tokyo as representatives of the Russian
Olympic Committee (ROC) because the country was stripped of its
flag and anthem for doping offences, will be trying to return
home with the all-around title for the first time since Tatiana
Gutsu of the United Team went atop the podium at the 1992
Barcelona Olympics.
The ROC will have two strong medal contenders but European
all-around champion Viktoriia Listunova will not be one of them
after the 16-year-old fell victim to the two-per country quota
rule.
Listunova qualified sixth but behind compatriots Angelina
Melnikova and Vladislava Urazova, who finished fourth and fifth
respectively.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Tokyo. Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
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