The 23-year-old Whitlock scored 15.633 points to achieve his fourth Olympic medal and second in Rio after all-around bronze.
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Michael Phelps won his 22nd gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley, becoming the first swimmer to win the same event at four consecutive Olympic Games. “I had to focus”, said Biles who finished by leading the way with her high-speed tumbling Samba performance that earned a standing ovation. “To me I’m just the same Simone”. Those really stand out for me. The Biles is a double layout with a half-twist at the end, forcing her to land blindly. She hasn’t lost an all-around competition since the spring of 2013, claiming three world titles and four US crowns in the process.
Biles, who many call the best gymnast of all time, was ebullient about her team mate’s accomplishment. Her level of difficulty is so high, but she’s able to control it. Which she nearly never does and rarely is.
For the first time since 2008, United States of America went 1-2 in the all around, with Aly Raisman taking silver after her stellar floor routine. And when she broke down in tears after her near-perfect floor routine, celebrities, along with the rest of the world, could not help but love her. I’ve been with her since I was 7 years old, and we’ve done this journey together. When she launched into the air for a second time, she was foot ideal as she nailed the landing from her Cheng vault, a round off half turn into the table, followed by 1-1/2 twisting front somersault. You can watch Biles again on Sunday in the individual vault final. She just does not fall. Two of those women will be competing in Rio’s uneven bars showdown: the U.S.’ Madison Kocian and Russia’s Daria Spiridonova. She is the reigning world champion on both events. Here’s a look at Biles’s dominance since turning pro in 2013. But her second vault was pure, pure gold. As tough as the course was, we still saw the first hole-in-one in Olympic history.
I’ve finally done it. “I felt every emotion at once”. Biles’ Friday selfie was short on words, but said everything it needed to. As Olympic champion, she’s now part of a proud lineage that traces from Nadia Comaneci to Mary Lou Retton to Gabby Douglas.
It came just hours after Biles had dominated the competition in the women’s all-around event and entered the conversation of whether she is the greatest gymnast of all time. “But I think mine is a little different”. To me, I’m still the same Simone.
Elsewhere, Rie Kaneto won Japan’s second swimming gold of the Rio Olympics beating drug-tainted Russian Yulia Efimova into second in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
With more likely to come.
Known “BFFs” and USA women’s gymnastics teammates, Biles and Raisman, both won gold and silver, respectively, during the gymnastics individual all-around final Thursday.
But those would only add to her legend.
The teen’s win is the latest in string of victories that has made her this Olympics’ most unstoppable athlete.
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No one is better than Biles.
