Her total of 62.198 was well clear of Raisman, who finished her remarkable comeback with a silver medal, and Russia’s Aliya Mustafina. Perhaps by beginning the conversation with talk about the best in history.
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Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming.
The American, who led her team to the Olympic title on Tuesday (August 9), came into the event as the overwhelming favourite but began with a slightly nervy vault, which still yielded a colossal 15.866 points.
Mustafina was first up and needed a strong floor exercise to hold off Raisman in one of her weaker rotations.
“I don’t know who but it’s not me”, she said.
“It’s hard to put into words what I’m feeling but I’m very very happy and I’m just so excited that we went 1-2”.
“I would say yes”, Martha Karolyi said when asked if Biles was the greatest ever.
The gold medal was hers at that point, as if there was any doubt.
Biles and Raisman received a standing ovation from spectators at the Rio Olympic Arena on Thursday evening, even though many had not come to support the United States team. “Just because she wins every single competition”. Raisman said she remembers watching as a child when the USA achieved it the first time, at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
In winning silver four years after missing out on bronze at the London Olympics by a tiebreaker, Raisman was pretty dominant herself.
“I was thinking, ‘I’ve finally done it, ‘ and when that hits you, you can’t stop the emotions”.
Biles will still compete in vault, balance beam, and floor exercise finals in Rio, giving her a chance to leave with five gold medals.
It gets a little trickier after that, if only because of unfortunate timing.
After the final scores were announced Thursday, Biles and Raisman acknowledged the crowd together.
The way Biles is handling this Olympic gymnastic competition so far, anything seems possible.
“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.
“I think she is right on the top (with Nadia Comaneci). Those are the culminations of our career”.
Neither her mother nor father, Kelvin Clemons, who has also struggled with addictions, have gone to Rio, though they have been watching Simone’s achievements on television.
But rather than being crushed by the hype, Biles is such a free spirit that she simply soared higher and higher on Thursday with a dazzling floor performance that will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to be in the Rio Olympic Arena. “It makes us feel like super girl”, she said with a wink. “It was just kind of a train wreck”.
Biles, Raisman and their coaches Aimee Boorman and Mihai Brestyan hugged as cameramen surrounded them.
That’s because gold has been out of reach for everyone but Biles for three years and counting.
Harrison, 26, is expected to retire from judo and has said she’s contemplating joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
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At one point Boorman pulled Biles aside and gave her a choice. The first time she vaulted, she stopped on the first one, sailed way over on the second and scored a zero. “I just stay out of it”.
