There is just one day until Simone Biles makes her Tokyo 2020 competitive debut. The four-time Olympic champion will begin her quest to become the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic all-around titles in more than 50 years Sunday (25 July) as women's gymnastics competition kicks off with the qualifying round.
Almost every day of competition will present Biles with a chance to make history whether by debuting a fifth named element (the Yurchenko double pike vault) or becoming the most decorated gymnast in World Championships and Olympic history. Below is a day-by-day look at Biles’ Tokyo schedule, all times are local to Tokyo.
25 July, women’s qualifying (3:10 p.m.): Though no medals are at stake on the opening day of competition, a bad day here could prevent Biles from qualifying to the finals she’ll need to be in to set more records.
27 July, women’s team final (7:45 p.m.): Biles and Team USA will be heavy favourites for team gold in Tokyo. A win would give the Americans their third consecutive gold medal at the Games, a feat not seen since the Soviet Union won eight straight from 1952-1980.
29 July, women’s all-around final (7:50 p.m.): In the women’s all-around final, Biles will, again, be the overwhelming favourite to take the title. Her back-to-back win would only be the third in history, joining Vera Caslavska (1964, 1968) and Larisa Latynina (1956, 1960).
1 August, apparatus finals day 1 (5 p.m.): On the first day of apparatus finals, Biles will likely compete in at least the vault final. A medal there is likely to be the first opportunity to tie Vitaly Scherbo’s overall world and Olympic gymnastics record haul. Biles comes into the Games with 30 medals (25 World medals and five Olympic), and Scherbo won a total of 33 during his career.
2 August, apparatus finals day 2 (5 p.m.): Day two of the apparatus finals features women’s floor exercise, the event on which Biles is reigning Olympic and World champion. She owns five World titles on the event and has two elements named after her. If all has gone as planned to this point, Biles will be seeking her 34th World and Olympic medal here.
3 August, apparatus finals day 3 (5 p.m.): The artistic gymnastics competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games wraps up on 3 August. For women’s gymnastics, that will mean the balance beam. It’s the event where Biles took bronze in Rio after grabbing the beam on a front tuck. She’s been clear she wants redemption here. It could also be a chance at a 35th overall global medal.