After the Russian Olympic Committee beat the U.S. women's gymnastics team by over a point in qualifications at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, many assumed Team USA would bounce back for the team final. After all, they had Simone Biles, right?
But in a shocking turn Tuesday, that was not the case. Biles dropped out of the competition for an undisclosed medical reason, leaving the U.S. gymnasts at a major disadvantage.
Team USA should be proud that its remaining competitors were able to win silver under such difficult circumstances. However, the situation exposed the Americans' overreliance on Biles and could signal the end of an era of their unchallenged dominance.