Undefeated since she placed second behind 2012 Olympian Kyla Ross at a friendly meet in Germany three years ago, 19-year-old Biles has dominated domestic and worldwide competition, becoming a 10-time world champion in just three years. She never wanted to push the talented Biles too hard or too fast because she’s seen too many gymnasts burn out or get hurt. Besides, Raisman would be 22 in Rio. Biles also completed her day on an absolute high note.
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“I’m happy with this day”.
Biles won the floor routine but Raisman, who was the Olympic champion in London in 2012 and is always superlative in the event, performed flawlessly, thus assuring herself the silver, while Mustafina slid to third.
Whatever reprise of those fears Raisman might have felt Wednesday in Rio were not borne out once she hit the mat for the all-around final. The deduction for a fall in gymnastics is a point, so Biles technically could’ve fallen twice and walked away with gold.
Raisman went first. She nailed her moves, but stepped out a bit on the landing. But forgotten in the celebration of Douglas’ success is Raisman’s heartbreak. Only a relatively shaky uneven bars routine that left her with the 14th-best mark on that apparatus put her in danger of losing silver to Russia’s Aliya Mustafina. On the second flip she does a half turn and lands forward.
“She really ranks at the top”, said Martha Karolyi, the national team coordinator who helped Nadia Comaneci score a ideal 10 in the 1976 games as a coach in Romania.
“It was heartbreaking and devastating”.
Biles had a total score of 62.198 in the final round.
“Is this redemption?” a reporter asked.
“She was robbed!” Cohn said, outraged. Raisman and Biles started out on the vault. “She could do big skills up here but couldn’t land”.
The “bouncy” gymnast regained the lead on the beam with a 15.433 and, as the last performer of the night, needed only a 13.833 on floor, her favorite event, to win.
“Instead, they’re winning gold medals”, Clinton said. “So I learned to focus on the positive”.
Great Britain’s Ellie Downie came 13th, narrowly missing out on becoming the best performing female British gymnast in an Olympic all-around final. “I was very proud”, said Biles. “It’s so nerve-wracking. Sometimes you just need a little love”.
Largely projected to dominate her way to an Olympic gold medal in the women’s gymnastics individual all-around final, the 19-year-old sensation rose to the occasion with her #BlackGirlMagic on full display Thursday. That her teammates call her “Grandma” is less an indictment than recognition of her rarity. Her tumbling is unbelievable.
“Someone could say I’m the best but then there’s a whole different side saying I’m not the best”, she said. “I’m more happy for her than I am myself”.
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When the floor exercise judges validated what Raisman and every other gymnast has known for years – that Biles is the greatest of her generation and perhaps of all time – the U.S. Olympic team captain let her good friend go. As she turned around to look at the scoreboard, she gasped when she learned she had tied for first. “It is to admire”. Let us know in the comments!
