On Thursday, she got the gold medal to go with it.
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That’s because gold has been out of reach for everyone but Biles for three years and counting. “This was the best I could possibly do”, said Raisman, who already plans to join Biles on vacation in Belize when the Games end. “Those really stand out from my 50 years of coaching”. Billed as the heavy favorite heading into the women’s all-around gymnastics competition, she lived up to the hype. She is the GOAT.
Biles erased whatever lingering doubts there were about whether she’s the greatest gymnast of all time Thursday, winning the Olympic all-around title in a rout. A almost stuck vault led into a strong bars, then a balance beam routine that earned the night’s second-highest score on that event.
Gabby Douglas was in third place for qualifying for the all-around, but the “two per country” rule restricted team United States of America from being able to send more than Raisman and Biles. President Obama admits that he thinks gymnastics is spectacular, he can’t enjoy watching it because he spends the entire routine thinking, “Oh, she’s going to fall!”
The gold medal was decided before the competition started.
Gymnasts at Biles’ gym in Spring gathered to cheer on their hometown girl. Raisman earned 60.098, while Mustafina placed third with 58.665.
Raisman, who finished behind Biles in the all-around to clinch individual silver, was part of the squad that won the team gold in London in 2012 and remembers the whirlwind of attention that followed.
After the first two events-vault and uneven bars- Raisman was in fourth. Biles’ Friday selfie was short on words, but said everything it needed to.
“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.
She completed the beam without a hitch before watching Raisman do the same.
“It means the world to me”.
Ryan Murphy struck gold in the 200 meter backstroke In the women’s 200-meter backstroke semifinal, more disappointment for defending Olympic champion Missy Franklin, she failed to qualify.
Karolyi called Biles a “force of nature”. Glitter from Biles’ eyes dried on her cheeks. The crowd was screaming and yelling, and I finally did it. “At some point, I’ll have to go get a real job”.
Biles chirped “2020?”, hoping her friend will be coming along for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.
Biles said earlier in the event that Manuel was “an awesome person”, and it appears to be a friendship to last.
She hasn’t lost since 2013 people, how mental is that?
She could win five.
Douglas beamed when told what her coach said, but the comments were certainly no surprise to the 20-year-old.
But Biles dismissed talk of stardom. She repeatedly has said it’s for others to judge. A teammate assumed she would come back for the next quadrennium and asked why she wouldn’t. “I didn’t know the reason until now”.
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But the winning isn’t over for Biles.
