Sports

Simone Biles leads dominant U.S. to gold in Olympic gymnastics team competition

Published

1 year ago

July 30, 2024

Simone Biles leads dominant U.S. to gold in Olympic gymnastics team competition

PARIS — Fans at Bercy Arena wore white T-shirts with the Olympic rings printed across the front. Each ring featured a photo of a U.S. gymnast inside. Underneath, there was a single word: “Redemption.”

This felt like more. It was relief. It was a release.

It was gold.

2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games

The four members of the Olympic team who remembered their Tokyo disappointments rewrote their narratives by leading the United States back to gold with a dominant wire-to-wire performance in the team final on Tuesday. Finishing with an untouchable 171.296 score, the Americans ran across the floor after Simone Biles clinched the victory on floor, raising the U.S. flag to all sides of the arena and posing for photos.

Three years after withdrawing in the Olympic final because of mental health concerns, Biles blew a kiss to the crowd as she saluted the judges after her floor routine.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

The U.S. has won three of the last four Olympic team gold medals and 10 of the last 11 major team championships, including seven consecutive world titles.

The Americans were so dominant that they still won by 5.802 points over silver medalists Italy despite watered-down routines and a fall from Jordan Chiles on beam. Biles did not compete featuring her eponymous vault, sacrificing eight-tenths of a point in difficulty marks. Lee did a straight-forward straddle split mount on the beam instead of a high-flying round-off, back layout.

Brazil claimed the bronze medal.

Chiles bounced back from her fall on beam — the only blemish in her otherwise excellent Olympic performance that included a third-place all-around finish in qualifying — with a thrilling floor routine that had the entire crowd clapping along with her Beyoncé music. Fans erupted when she nailed her final tumbling pass. She blinked back tears in her ending pose.

After wilting under the deafening silence of the crowd-less Tokyo Games, the U.S. gymnasts soaked up the energy from a loud, pro-U.S. arena. American flags waved in every corner of the sold-out arena as the U.S. rotated to each event. They pumped their fists as fans chanted “U-S-A!” Stars including Serena Wiliams, Michael Phelps, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Spike Lee and Nadia Comaneci were in attendance for one of the most in-demand tickets of the Games.

Jordan Chiles, of the United States, performs on the floor during the women's gymnastics team finals at Bercy Arena

As Biles stood at the end of the vault runway waiting for her first routine, a single fan shouted through a quiet lull: “We love you, Simone!”

Since Tokyo, the 27-year-old’s star has only grown. She’s transcended the sport, becoming a mainstream star attending red carpet events. She’s a vocal advocate for mental health that other athletes in the Olympics have looked to for inspiration. She’s a businesswoman and wife.

She didn’t have to go back to being a gymnast. Yet focusing on the other parts of herself seemed only to elevate her greatest strength.

“Nobody’s forcing me to do it,” Biles said after U.S. Olympic trials. “I wake up every day and choose to grind in the gym and come out here and perform for myself.”

Sports

Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

Published

5 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.

Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.

When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.

Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”

Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.

“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”

Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.

“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.

Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.

Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.

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Sports

Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Published

6 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.

The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.

One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.

He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.

As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Sports

Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

Published

17 hours ago

January 8, 2026

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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.

The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal.

Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.

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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.

There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.

It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.

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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.

Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.

Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.

Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.

Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.