The two embraced, their journey that began when Biles was 6 ending – at least for now – with history.
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When it comes to Biles, however, those expectations have no boundaries. Biles is the reigning world champ while Raisman won gold in floor at the 2012 Olympics.
The win makes Biles the first woman to win four gymnastics golds in a single Olympic Games since Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo in 1984.
But much of the attention will center around Biles and Raisman (a Needham, Mass. native). But both also said they’ve had a lot of fun here in Rio.
Speaking to the media after the event, Biles said that she wasn’t disappointed to have one silver mixed in among her four gold medals.
Bolt now holds the world record for the 200 meters, with a time of 19.19 seconds.
“It’s pretty insane what I’ve accomplished in my first Olympics”, she said.
Simone Biles is killing the game and the Rio Olympics, securing her fourth gold medal in the all-around individual floor competition on Tuesday afternoon and capping an end to a glorious Olympic debut. She can keep training and decide she wants to try to qualify for the 2020 team, but if she made it she would be one of the oldest women to compete for the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team.
Switzerland’s Giulia Steingruber suffered a number of her mistakes to score just 11.800, before America’s Aly Raisman took to the floor. After a rousing routine that finishes the competition, she gets a 14.766 – not enough to win a medal. She can pack more tumbles into a single pass than any other gymnast alive, thanks to her extraordinary power-to-height ratio, and she catapults her 4ft 8in body into the air is if she’s got rocket packs hidden in the soles of her feet. She’s soaring, and landing her jumps cleanly.
Tinkler, the youngest member of Team GB, found perfection in her double salto and moved through her double pike easily, securing her 14.933.
USA Gymnastics reminds us: American gymnasts have never gone 1-2 in the women’s floor exercise final.
“They’re the greatest in their sport”, she said.
Whether Biles will leave the games as the best gymnast of all time is up for debate, a topic she will happily leave to others.
South Durham Gymnastics Club’s finest then faced an agonising ten minute wait, to see if she would be dislodged from second. She takes a large pace forward to steady herself. Her 15.500 eclipsed third place by a half point. Biles is assured of at least a medal – now Raisman and Ferrari will have their say. She became Britain’s youngest Olympic medallist in 32 years. Wevers was stunning while working across the 4-inch slab of wood that stands 48 inches off the ground, calling it the performance of her life, one that ended with a hug from Dutch King Willem-Alexander and a phone call from the prime minister.
Verniaiev’s score of 16.041 was just a touch better than the 15.9 put up by American Danell Leyva.
“To be out there and do my best routine ever in such a big final was awesome”, Wevers said. Then came Canadian Ben Johnson, though his fame was nearly immediately cut short by doping accusations.
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If she needs advice, she doesn’t have to look far. Her routine even included a Brazilian-themed segment to play to the home crowd. At 14, she chose to fully commit to gymnastics.
