Just as Douglas started gaining a huge and continually growing fan club since her Olympic debut in 2012, Biles now has a massive following, including lots of Hollywood celebrities, like Kim Kardashian and Zac Efron.
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Biles, the 19-year-old gymnastics sensation, is looking to extend her dominance. She has won three world championships in the event and will be a favorite to win her fourth gold here in Rio.
The Americans were denied a gold medal Monday for the first time since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and it took two big stumbles to keep the “Star Spangled Banner” on pause.
Dutch gymnast Sanne Wevers was up directly after Biles and she tactically changed her routine in order to secure the gold medal.
Team USA has the most medals, with 75 total. “I don’t really know what happened”. In the afternoon, smoke and ash from a wind-whipped wildfire billowed over the field hockey stadium in Deodoro.
Rio’s Day 10 of competition featuring action in boxing, cycling, marathon swimming, wrestling, began with Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland winning the women’s hammer throw gold medal with a world record of 82.29 meters.
Wevers won gold (15.446) while Hernandez captured silver (15.333) and gave the US a glimpse into its bright future as Gabby Douglas finishes her career. She topped qualifying last week and had just completed the most hard part of her routine when she missed the landing following her punch front flip.
There was sadness when the German Olympic team announced that canoe slalom coach Stefan Henze died from injuries sustained in a taxi crash last week. Those were reserved for pole vaulter Thiago Braz da Silva, who gave Brazil its first medal in track and field by setting an Olympic record (6.03 meters) to upset world-record holder and defending champion Renaud Lavillenie of France.
It was also a tough day for bystanders in the Olympic park with seven of them sustaining minor injuries when a television camera plummetted about 10m.
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Cuban heavyweight wrestler Mijain Lopez provided one of the moments of the Games when he produced a celebratory dance before he had completed his victory over Turkish rival Riza Kayaalp.
