Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women’s all-around, vault and floor exercise.
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“I’m very excited, and I can’t wait for my team to be with me”, Biles said after receiving the honor on Saturday. “This experience has been the dream of a lifetime for me and my team and I consider it a privilege to represent my country”.
The only other gymnast to serve as an Olympic flag bearer was Alfred Jochim, who did so at the Berlin 1936 Games’ Opening Ceremonies.
Biles has had company celebrating – she says that in Rio, she had around 40 family members cheering her on.
And besides all her professional accomplishments this year, the best moment of the 19-year-old’s time in Rio may have been more personal – she got to meet her longtime celeb crush, Zac Efron!
Whenever the Olympics wind down, the question of who will be the flag bearer for the closing ceremonies is always brought up.
Biles is widely considered the greatest American gymnast ever, though she’s competing in just her first Games.
Her five medals matches marks set by Nastia Liukin in 2008, Shannon Miller in 1992 and Mary Lou Retton in 1984.
Simone Biles is set to make history one final time in Rio on Sunday.
Three of the last four Olympic Games Closing Ceremony flag bearers have been female athletes: soccer player Mia Hamm (2004), archer Khatuna Lorig (2008) and now Biles (2016).
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The Rio Olympics’ closing ceremony will be aired on NBC at 8 p.m. ET Sunday.
