The 19-year-old had to give up normal schooling and get homeschooled in order to better manage her gymnastics training.
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The 19 year-old from team United States of America has dominated the sporting headlines this week, thanks to her pitch-perfect Olympic routines, her sass-tastic eyeliner, oh, and those Simojis.
Apart from a hop on the landing of her opening vault she gave a confident display of gravity-defying tumbles, twists and flips on her maiden Games to win by 2.100 points over USA teammate Aly Raisman.
In Lochte’s only individual swim in the summer games, Phelps surged to victory and the gold medal, becoming the only swimmer to win four consecutive gold medals in the same Olympic event. In a world in which Simone Biles competes, Raisman said taking silver felt like winning gold.
“I feel like our schedules are just getting built up every day”, said Laurie Hernandez, of Old Bridge, New Jersey, who at 16 was the youngest of the group.
Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an individual gold when she tied Canada’s Penny Oleksiak for first in the 100-meter freestyle.
Yet the photograph she posted with Simone Manuel on Friday likely has more significance than most, for two athletes who made their mark on the Games just hours apart and delighted the nation in the process. A three-time Olympic medalist in London, Raisman appeared to be on the outside of the picture looking in after a shaky performance at the world championships that left her “devastated”. Her glitter makeup and the sequined stars and stripes on her red, white and blue leotard sparkled under the bright lights.
“Nadia was very precise”, Karolyi said.
“I would say yes”, Martha Karolyi said when asked if Biles was the greatest ever. It took her a year to convince Biles to do her hardest skills on beam.
Compatriot Aly Raisman claimed silver with a total of 60.098, while Russia’s Aliya Mustafina settled for bronze.
Then it was time for Raisman to listen as her national anthem played, gazing up a step on the podium at Biles – and no one else in the world.
Comaneci, the 1976 Montreal gold medallist and first to earn a ideal 10.0 score, was like Biles coached by Romanian Martha Karolyi, who defected to the United States in 1981.
Numerous kids get to see Biles practicing at the gym throughout the year. She’ll have her chance next week when she can add three more golds during the event finals.
Here’s the other thing: Even though it was a victory that had been long predicted – “For, like, years”, Raisman, a two-time Olympian, said with a laugh – the story of how Biles arrived at this moment and delivered on it is hardly routine or stripped of wonder.
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“That’s awesome, thank you!” beamed Biles after seeing the front, which depicted her entire team, and a picture of herself on the back.
