Simone Biles is living up to the hype at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, winning the women’s all-around gold medal just days after helping Team USA capture team gold. As expected, Biles brought down the house at Rio Olympic Arena, becoming the fourth American in a row to win the women’s gymnastics all-around title.
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It was the first major global meet where she trailed at any point, but it hardly mattered as she scored 62.198 to win by 2.1 points.
At the halfway point, however, both Biles and Raisman sat a surprising second behind Russia’s Aliya Mustafina.
“I think if you ask any of the all-arounders that won the gold medal”, Biles said, “it’s everything they dreamed of since they were a little girl”.
“This medal is not just for me”.
The US star showed just why she’s the talk of town with another sublime showing to win gold in the women’s all-around final Thursday.
Thursday’s win was Biles 2nd gold medal, the first coming when Team USA won the gold on Tuesday. “She’s one of my role models, and I don’t think there’s anyone I’d rather share the podium with”. Balance beam and floor exercise – where Biles is the defending world champion – lay in wait. “I had to focus”, said Biles who finished by leading the way with her high-speed tumbling Samba performance that earned a standing ovation. Her margin of victory was almost double the largest she’s had in winning the major global all-around competition each year.
Raisman’s tears didn’t affect Biles too much – her 15.933 was the best score on the floor and eased her into the Olympic history books. She went back in front with a 15.433 on beam – and capped it with a 15.933 on floor that Karolyi called “very close to perfection”.
Raisman dealt with the pressure, putting together her best floor routine of the competition with a 15.433 to finish almost a point and a half ahead of Mustafina in silver medal position, avenging a hard fourth place finish in London.
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The United States also became the first country to win the all-around title four consecutive times – Carly Patterson in Athens 2004, followed by Nastia Liukin in 2008 and Gabby Douglas, 2012. It was Raisman’s first Olympic all-around medal after she lost a tiebreaker for third in London four years ago. Her teammate Aly raisman, impressing with the silver second.
