Perhaps by beginning the conversation with talk about the best in history.
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Add that to three world championship all-around titles, a record 10 worlds golds and four USA championships, and Biles already has quite the resume. She has a name.
“I think it was really helpful for her, because it enlightened her that the reason a lot of blacks haven’t been involved in swimming was that in the past we didn’t have access to facilities”, Sharron Manuel told the Washington Post previous year.
The tweet has since been deleted, and the story, which is here, includes an editor’s note: “The original headline on this story was insensitive and has been updated to acknowledge the historic gold medal wins by both Simone Manuel and Michael Phelps”. She tallied her second gold medal in Rio, following USA’s team gold on Tuesday, and said it was her final event on Thursday in the all-around that was her defining point.
On a Wheaties box one day, they find themselves sitting at home watching a new generation of gymnasts on television the next.
In gymnastics, Gabby Douglas became the first African-American to win the Olympic all-around in 2012. “Now in two years, she might be singing a different song”. “I’m sure most people don’t go into it thinking they can beat Usain Bolt either”.
“They have more goals”. The Chicago Tribune celebrated Corey Cogdell’s bronze medal in trap ahooting win with a headline reading “Corey Cogdell, Wife of Bears Lineman Mitch Unrein, Wins Bronze in Rio”.
“Obviously four years ago, when they broke the tie and I got fourth place, it was very heartbreaking”, Raisman said on Today.
When Simone Manuel woke up Thursday, she was just another Olympic swimmer.
Biles competes on the floor during the Women’s Individual All Around Final. “It’s such an inspiration knowing that you could be such a young age and be a star of the world”. This time, the American was all smiles as she stood one step higher than Mustafina on the podium.
She spoke of the difficulty in being a rare black swimmer on the American team, how it has attracted positive attention but at the same time brought a burden. “I want to get to the Olympics and I want to win a gold medal – like, that’s one of my aspirations in life”. “Those are the culminations of our career”.
Her excitement is being matched at swimming pools around the country.
The last time two swimmers won joint golds in the Olympics was in 2000 when Americans Gary Hall and Anthony Ervin shared the men’s 50m freestyle title. “It was just kind of a train wreck”. That puts Biles above many great gymnasts that Karolyi has worked with in a long and distinguished career.
“It was just so emotional for me, because she even said, ‘I’ve been through so much”, Stalling says.
Well, OK, I guess that’s not quite accurate, considering she won the world championship three straight years in a row leading up to this Olympics, and we didn’t really care. She said she picked the university for its values.
But what the 1.45 metre Biles lacks in height, she more than makes up in stature.
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“Someone could say I’m the best but then there’s a whole different side saying I’m not the best”, she said. He’s also been inspired by Penny Oleksiak’s gold medal win. “I just do my gymnastics”.
