The women’s all-around is happening as this issue goes to press. Jaw-dropping on floor. Brilliant as ever.
Advertisement
Japan’s 400 IM champion Kosuke Hagino won silver and Wang Shun of China took bronze, both moving dramatically through the field on the final length after turning in fifth and seventh place.
The title also extended Biles’ string of all-around championships at major competitions. Raisman finished with a 60.098, Mustafina 58.665.
Douglas was solid in all four events, but really sparkled on the uneven bars.
But she is flattered by recognition from idols such as Comaneci: “I feel we’re following in her footsteps”.
The American sweetheart has captured the hearts of Olympic viewers all over the world with her power-packed routines.
For a fraction of the competition, fans saw something very rare: Simone Biles in second place. She and Raisman joined Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson in 2008 as the only US gymnasts to win gold and silver in the same Olympic final. She left the rotation up 1.533 with her best event, floor, remaining.
Long resigned to the fact no one would beat the sensational Biles, Mustafina instead rejoiced in her bronze – the same medal she collected in London 2012. “I’m sure most people don’t go into it thinking they can beat Usain Bolt, so it’s kind of the same thing”.
“I knew I had finally done it”, Biles said.
Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu – nicknamed the “Iron lady” – is favorite to win a fourth gold medal in the finals of the women’s 200m breaststroke. In those years, routines had become more hard, and a young gymnast from Texas named Simone Biles had bounded onto the scene.
The path to that redemption has been clear since Raisman arrived in Brazil, with only Biles posting better scores in the qualifying rounds Sunday and team final Tuesday. She’s the three-time world champion on floor, and even has a tumbling skill named after her. Normally close to flawless, Biles found a new level of perfection in that 90 seconds. It’s not a coincidence.
“So-o-o-o”, Boorman laughed and held out a hand, “Mic drop!”
She’s trained putting another twist on that one too. She wasn’t going to allow a ruling to decide if she took silver; tonight, and with this beam routine, she was going to put enough distance between herself and Mustafina to win the silver outright. This 4ft 8in gymnast from Texas, placed into foster care because of her mother’s struggles with drugs and alcohol and adopted when she was five by her biological grandparents, has already won two Olympic golds at her debut Games.
Boorman asked a couple of times.
A decision that led to years of sacrifices and ultimately, the biggest night of her life.
A video of Simone winking and smiling at a former Olympic gymnast during a routine was watched 11 million times in the first few days of it being posted online. Verniaiev went after Uchimura (sometimes called King Kohei or Superman) and it took about seven minutes for the judges to flash his score.
Some of her fellow competitors believe thats exactly where the 4-foot-8 dynamo is heading.
Five trips to the top of the podium in one games is something gymnastics has never seen. Vault is a good event for Russian Federation (not their best), but often tends to be a higher-scoring event than beam, where Japan ended.
Phelps won eight golds in Beijing 2008. “But the fact that she has dual citizenship, I don’t see why we can not celebrate her second country also”. “We know she can do it!”
Numerous kids get to see Biles practicing at the gym throughout the year.
Harrison, 26, is expected to retire from judo and has said she’s contemplating joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She blew kisses to the crowd after her floor exercise, overcome by a comeback that at times seemed in doubt.
There was little time to savour the moment, however, as he raced back off the pool deck to get ready for the semi-finals of the 100m butterfly, which he also has the chance to win for a fourth successive Games.
Biles is set to make an appearance at the gym on August 27 to sign autographs.
Advertisement
Rio de Janeiro, Aug 12 (IANS): Simone Biles added another gold medal to her Rio Games winnings in the women’s all-around gymnastics competition, racking up a 2,100-point margin of victory, the largest in Olympic history.
