Biles' return to gymnastics set back as Tokyo World Cup cancelled

Simone Biles will have to adjust her plans for her first competitive appearance of the year.

The artistic gymnastics All-Around World Cup stop in Tokyo, Japan, originally set for 4 May and due to have been Biles' season debut, will no longer take place.

Two earlier World Cup events in Germany and Great Britain had already been cancelled, leading to the entire series losing its status as qualifiers for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in 2021.

With this in mind, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and Japan Gymnastics Association decided to cancel the Tokyo event too.

As it was originally set to be a test event for the Olympic Games, a national Japanese event will replace it on the same date.

In a statement, the FIG added that the decision to cancel also took into account "the current travel restrictions and difficulties worldwide as well as the measures taken by the Japanese authorities to limit the rate of coronavirus infections in the country ahead of the Olympic Games".

Biles' seasonal calendar could now open in May at the U.S. Classic (22 May) or the U.S.national championships in Fort Worth, Texas (3–6 June). The U.S. Olympic trials in St Louis, Missouri, 24–27 June, will be her final competition before Tokyo.

Following that, the four-time Olympic gold medallist will look to add to her collection of Olympic medals in Tokyo, where she has the chance to overtake Vitaly Scherbo to become the most-medalled artistic gymnast across the World Championships and Olympic Games.

The American currently has 30 World and Olympic medals, three fewer than Scherbo.

After the Olympic Games, Biles is set for a 35-city tour across the United States from September to November.