Simone Biles' bid to launch a history-making goldrush at the Tokyo Olympics fell apart after a failed attempt at vault on Tuesday when the gymnast superstar pulled out of the team event and her American teammates were beaten to the title by the Russian Olympic Committee.

The late-night drama was a fitting end to a day which had begun under the threat of a storm and featured the loss of tennis player Naomi Osaka.

Biles would have confirmed her status as the greatest gymnast of all time, but she chose to exit the team event at the Games. She won four gold medals at Rio 2016.

"After the performance I just didn't want to go on," Biles said.

USA Gymnastics said Biles had withdrawn because of a "medical issue," and would be assessed daily.

"Injury, no," she said. "Just a little injury to my pride."

While she could still, in theory, win five and match the current record, it seems unlikely.

Russian great Larisa Latynina won nine gymnastic Olympic golds in the 1950s and 1960s. Only American swimmer Michael Phelps, with his 23 swimming golds, has won more.

Osaka, who lit the Olympic cauldron on July 23 to open the Games after a one-year postponement, looked out of sorts and never settled into a rhythm as she lost 6-1, 6-4 in the third round to Czech Marketa Vondrousova.

Her departure left Japan without their best-known global sporting figure in the Olympics.

"I think it's maybe because I haven't played in an Olympics before and for the first one to be here was a bit much," she said.

It was her first tournament since she pulled out of the French Open in May. The women's tennis tournament has now lost both of its top draw cards after women's tennis world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty of Australia was beaten in the first round.