Olympics: Biles chases first gold of Paris Games

  • 3 months ago

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Transcript
00:00The whole world will be watching Simone Biles going for gymnastics gold in her third Games later, right now, here in Paris.
00:08It's the roar of the home crowd for defending under-63 kilo Olympic judo title holder Clarisse Agbebenou,
00:17the 31-year-old who became a mother since her last Olympiad in Tokyo.
00:22She's qualified for the semis.
00:24Let's cross now to France 24's Celina Sykes.
00:28And Clarisse Agbebenou, who seems to be improving with each of her matches.
00:37That's right, François.
00:38She looks well on the route to attempt to defend her gold medal from three years ago
00:45in her judo category at the under-63 kilo category here at the Champs-de-Mars Arena in the center of Paris.
00:53The Frenchwoman getting through to the semifinals with quite some ease in the end.
00:58It was supposed to be her first big test against Laura Faizou, but she ended the game.
01:03She ended it within 34 seconds, getting an Ippon, which is a decisive point in judo,
01:09ending that after just 34 seconds.
01:11And next up is her semifinal against Slovenian Andrea Leski at around half four here in the Champs-de-Mars Arena.
01:19As you can expect, there are a lot of people, a lot of French fans already queuing up to see her
01:24in that next clash between her and the Slovenian.
01:29This, as you said, François, is her first Olympics since giving birth.
01:32And she has said that it's actually a way she's had to change the way she works.
01:36She's had to change the way that she uses her tactics here.
01:41But it seems to be working for her so far.
01:43She looks as good as ever.
01:45And of course, you're right now along the banks of the Seine.
01:50You're going to be traveling further east in a short while, where all the attention will be on the gymnastics.
02:00That's right. So all the attention, of course, on that bigger women's team of final this evening at Bercy.
02:06And who, of course, is the star of that?
02:08It is, of course, Simone Biles making her comeback here at the Olympics after suffering from those twisties three years ago
02:16and shocking the world after pulling out after the vast majority of her events.
02:21And, well, her comeback was dazzling, François.
02:24She competed in the qualifiers for the women's team as well as her all-round individual event,
02:30getting through to the final for her individually, as well as for Team USA.
02:34That's a final for Team USA taking place this evening.
02:38And it's just a remarkable story, isn't it?
02:40Because a lot of people had questioned whether Simone Biles would ever compete at Olympics again.
02:45And yet, here she is at 27 years old, still showing that she's the best, looking better than ever, really.
02:51There seems to be this new air of confidence about her in the qualifiers for the team event,
02:57as she pulled off two of her five skills that are named after her.
03:01So she's looking very confident.
03:03She's coming back on her own terms.
03:05And a lot of people, obviously a lot of Americans here in Paris, François,
03:08who'll be rearing her on at Bercy Arena this evening.
03:12The Team USA, who are looking pretty dominant in this team event.
03:17They'll be looking, hoping to get back that gold medal that they had lost out on three years ago in Tokyo.
03:23They had to settle for silver three years ago.

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