Biles' return is great news for USA Gymnastics, which just announced a new sponsorship deal with Nike. Also returning is Suni Lee, who took home the Olympic all-around gold after Biles dropped out.
Biles hasn't competed since the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, when she withdrew and spurred a global conversation on the pressures faced by athletes. Lee stepped into the spotlight and won all-around gold.
The all-around champion, who is Hmong American, says she was with a group of friends of Asian descent in Los Angeles when people in a passing car yelled at them to "go back to where they came from."
Skinner was tapped to compete in the vault individual final after Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast in the world, withdrew from the competition to focus on her mental health.
Lee flipped and twisted from bar to bar in a sparkly blue leotard. She smiled and looked confident as she walked off the mat, and seemed a little surprised at her score.
This competition was initially defined by who wasn't competing. U.S. star Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast of all time and the heavy favorite to win, pulled out to take care of her mental health.
