Team USA entered the 2016 Rio Olympics facing high expectations in gymnastics. The "Fierce Five" had dominated in London to win the United States' first team gymnastics gold medal on foreign soil, and the "Final Five" was expected to reach similar heights.
That said, there was significant turnover on the team. Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman were back for a second Olympics, but McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, and Jordan Wieber were all gone. Replacing them would become the duty of Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Simone Biles.
The trio lived up to expectations, but it was Biles who really became Team USA's star.
Biles, then 19, burst onto the scene at the Olympics with one of the most dominant displays in gymnastics history. She dominated in the individual competitions and posted the highest score of any competitor during the team final.
The results? Team USA cruised to a second consecutive gold medal win, and Biles became a decorated superstar.
Here's a look back at Biles' first Olympic appearance as she suits up for her third Summer Games in Paris.
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When was Simone Biles' first Olympics?
Simone Biles first made the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. It was her first chance to make Team USA for the Olympics, as she was a part of the country's junior elite program ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
Biles was 19 at the time of her Olympic debut, but she was the best gymnast in Rio. She helped lead Team USA to its second consecutive gold medal in the team competition and became the fourth consecutive United States woman to win gold in the all-around competition.
Biles' performance played a big part in the 2016 team — comprised of Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian — taking home nine medals (five gold) at the Rio Games. That's the most won by a single American gymnastics team at an Olympics, and it's why the group — affectionately known as the "Final Five" — is considered one of the greatest teams of all time.
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How many medals did Simone Biles win in Rio?
Biles played a big part in the Final Five's historic medal count. She helped earn five of the nine medals, with four (three gold, one bronze) coming individually and the fifth coming as part of the team competition.
Below is a full recap of the medals Biles won at the 2016 Rio Olympics:
| Event | Result |
| Team competition | Gold |
| All-around | Gold |
| Vault | Gold |
| Floor exercises | Gold |
| Balance beam | Bronze |
If not for a stumble on the balance beam — during which she had to use her hand to steady herself on the beam — Biles could have earned gold in each of her five events. As it stands, her four gold medals were good for the most-ever won by a female gymnast in a single Olympics.
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Simone Biles scores at 2016 Olympics
Biles participated in the team competition, the all-around competition, and three event finals during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The only individual apparatus on which Biles didn't compete was the uneven bars. She did, however, perform in all four disciplines during the team and all-around competitions.
Biles impressively won the all-around gold by nearly 1.8 points, as she was the only competitor to log scores of 15.000 or better on all four apparatuses.
Here is a look at Biles' scores, and her rank in the field, for each discipline.
Team competition
| Apparatus | Score |
| Vault | 15.933 (1st) |
| Floor exercises | 15.800 (1st) |
| Uneven bars | 14.800 (15th) |
| Balance beam | 15.300 (1st) |
| All around* | 61.833 (1st) |
* Biles was one of just five competitors to perform on all four apparatuses during the team competition.
All-around
| Apparatus | Score |
| Vault | 15.866 (1st) |
| Floor exercises | 15.933 (1st) |
| Uneven bars | 14.966 (7th) |
| Balance beam | 15.433 (1st) |
| All around | 62.198 (1st) |
Event finals
| Apparatus | Score |
| Vault | 15.966 (1st) |
| Floor exercises | 15.966 (1st) |
| Balance beam | 14.733 (3rd) |
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Simone Biles 2016 Olympics highlights
For those wanting to see how Biles performed during the 2016 Olympics, here are some highlights from her individual all-around routines, courtesy of the Olympics.
Simone Biles medal count
Biles has seven career Olympic medals to her name — five gold, one silver, and one bronze. Most of her medals are from Rio, but she added two to her coffer during the 2021 Olympics.
Here's a look at what Biles has achieved on the world's biggest stage:
| Year | Event | Result |
| 2016 | Team competition | Gold |
| 2016 | All-around | Gold |
| 2016 | Vault | Gold |
| 2016 | Floor exercises | Gold |
| 2016 | Balance beam | Bronze |
| 2021 | Team competition | Silver |
| 2021 | Balance beam | Bronze |
Biles earned a silver in the team competition and another bronze on the beam in Tokyo. Impressively, she achieved that while battling a case of the twisties, a mental block that impacts gymnasts and causes them to lose track of where they are in the air.
Because of the issue, Biles wasn't able to participate in the vault, uneven bars, or floor exercise finals. She was favored to win gold on the vault and floor, so she could have broken Shannon Miller's record for total medals by a Team USA gymnast.
Instead, Biles had to settle for tying Miller's record in Tokyo. The 27-year-old will now hope to break it as she returns to the Olympic stage in Paris.
