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US women's gymnastics wins silver in Olympic team final without Simone Biles

Team USA fought to the end to take the silver medal behind the Russian Olympic Committee despite losing superstar Simone Biles, who withdrew from the competition.
Gymnastics - Artistic - Olympics: Day 4
Team USA fought to earn a silver medal in the Olympic women's gymnastics final despite losing superstar Simone Biles, who withdrew from the competition due to a medical issue. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

The U.S. women's gymnastics team nearly pulled off an incredible comeback.

Team USA had a valiant effort in coming up just short of the gold against the Russian Olympic Committee in the Olympic team competition in Tokyo Tuesday despite losing their superstar, Simone Biles, who withdrew from the competition after the vault due to a medical issue, according to USA Gymnastics.

The U.S. women rallied on the balance beam in Biles' absence to cut the ROC's lead to 0.8 points heading into the final competition, the floor exercise, but the ROC was able to seal the win when its three competitors outscored their American counterparts.

Russia won its first women's gymnastics team title since winning as the Unified Team in 1992 by handing Team USA its first loss in a global competition team final since 2010. It gave the ROC a sweep as the men's team also took home team gold in their competition.

Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, walked off the floor after competing in vault and did not return to competition. Teammate Jordan Chiles stepped in for her on the uneven bars and balance beam, and Team USA did its best to push the ROC until the end to finish with the silver medal.

NBC Olympics commentator John Roethlisberger, a retired Olympic gymnast, said on the broadcast that Team USA losing Biles would've been like if the Chicago Bulls lost Michael Jordan in a deciding game of the NBA Finals in the 1990s.

Trainers weren't seen attending to Biles, and she returned to cheer on her teammates from the sidelines.

"I don't think anybody saw this or expected this," NBC Sports host Mike Tirico said on TODAY after the competition. "We can't imagine what kind of pressure (Biles is under)."

Suni Lee put forth a strong showing with a 13.666 in her floor routine to try to keep Team USA in it, but ROC's Angelina Melnikova then sealed the win with a 13.966 in her floor routine to dethrone the defending champions.

Great Britain rallied from fifth place going into the final rotation to take the bronze medal.