Simone Biles lands hardest-ever move and sets Olympic record in outrageous routine

Simone Biles has made a triumphant return to Olympic action, setting a new record after becoming the first woman to land a triple flip in competition.

Biles was the star attraction at the artistic gymnastics qualifying in Paris on Sunday, making her return to the games after struggling in Tokyo three years ago, when she was hampered by the "twisties", a sensation suffered by gymnasts when they lose their coordination in the air.

Biles also struggled with her mental health and took two years away from the sport before making her comeback last year and earning her way back onto the U.S. Olympic squad.

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And on the biggest stage, she delivered with a remarkable showcase of her rare athleticism, earning a score of 14.600 on the vault for the move. The vault was her nemesis in Tokyo and her bout of the "twisties" led to her withdrawing from several events.

This time, however, she was at her very best. The 27-year-old sailed high in the air as she completed the Biles II, one of five moves named after the seven-time Olympic medalist. Music stars Ariana Grande and Snoop Dogg were among the famous faces in the crowd at Bercy Arena as Biles received a rapturous ovation.

Biles finished atop the all-around standings ahead of fellow American Suni Lee in qualifying. The team final is on Tuesday and the individual all-around final is on Thursday.

It was not all plain sailing for Biles, who required strapping on her left ankle before her floor routine, and she appeared to be in pain as she gingerly left the arena with a small limp.

"Just a little pain in her calf," Biles' coach Cecile Landi told USA Today. "She felt it a little bit on floor and we taped it to kind of (tighten) it up."

Biles also showed her skills on the beam, floor and uneven bars on Sunday – declining the chance to showcase her latest move on the latter. The Ohio native has submitted a new move to the International Gymnastics Federation, which is a variation of one pioneered by Wilhelm Weiler.

The move includes a clear hip circle with 1.5 turns to a handstand. The move has been graded an E by the IGF on a difficulty scale from A-J, and it will be worth 0.5 in difficulty, if Biles debuts it in Paris.

Should Biles land the move, she will become the first female gymnast to have a move named after her in each of the four disciplines. Only former Soviet star Nellie Kim has more moves carrying her name with seven.