Jaw-dropping on floor. Brilliant all over.
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But Raisman threw herself back into training and, despite a few bumpy performances at world championships past year, showed up this summer looking physically and mentally stronger than she did in her first attempt at 18.
Bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina of Russian Federation wasn’t exactly brimming with confidence about her chances, either. She needed to bring her excellence to this stage, her sport’s biggest, and join Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin and Gabby Douglas on the list of Americans to win the women’s individual all-around in the Olympics. She quickly made up ground with some of her best performances ever on both beam and floor, however, sticking her final pass to finish with a bang before bursting into tears.
“I’m very excited and relieved”.
When someone says “Simone Biles great”, you know it’s better than great. Then again, doing things gymnastics has never seen is what Biles does best. I kept reminding myself to do the routines I had practiced, which I did. I had to focus.
After the competition, Biles told reporters, “Every emotion hit me at once so I was just kind of a train wreck. I was very proud”.
She was ready for the Olympic moment everyone had been expecting from her for three years.
Biles earned 15.866 on the vault, 14.966 on the asymmetric bars and 15.433 on the balance beam. “People don’t go in thinking they can beat Usain Bolt either”. “For me, the most special was my first, from Nadia, and the last, from Simone”.
“I would put Simone now on top”, she added.
The gold medal was hers at that point, as if there was any doubt. But I feel the same.
One last test awaited in Brazil, a contest not so much between Biles and the rest of the field as between Biles and the burden of oversized expectations. Heading back to her family’s home in Spring, Texas, with anything less than a fistful of golds would have been a disappointment.
Simone Biles may be gymnastics’ GOAT, but fellow American Aly Raisman proved her determination in fighting back to win the silver medal. It’s not a coincidence.
Simone Biles had a lot riding on her entering Thursday’s individual all-around competition.
With numerous top names in golf opting out of Rio, citing Zika and security concerns, the field has been left wide open for lesser-known players like Fraser, who took a three-stroke lead at the end of the opening round. She led her teammates to the team gold to kick off her Olympics, then calmly did her thing on the balance beam to take a commanding lead before capping off the night with a strong effort on the floor event.
“I’m not a celebrity”. “I told her before today, I want you to win and I want second”, Raisman said.
Raisman, 22, took a leave of absence from the sport following the 2012 Olympic Games and then in 2014 made the decision to come back exclusively to go after the one medal that eluded her in London. Her total of 62.198 was well clear of Raisman, who finished her remarkable comeback with a silver medal, and Russia’s Aliya Mustafina. 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”.
Biles, a talent who seems from the future, posted a 15.933 on the floor exercise, the highest mark awarded Thursday night.
“I don’t think she’s even reacting to it”, said Aimee Boorman, the only coach Biles has ever had. But I’ve gotta go hug her!’ She went over and was like, ‘Great job and I’m happy for you!’ And she walked away really fast, because she would have started crying.
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For the second time in Olympic history, two USA women topped the all-around podium. Yet there she was 10 months later, standing on the podium with her fifth Olympic medal around her neck, the 22-year-old called “grandma” by her teammates having the last laugh and getting a measure of revenge after losing bronze in the 2012 all-around final to Mustafina on a tiebreaker.
