After their one-two finish Thursday, Raisman and Biles, 19, walked around the Rio Olympic Arena, as if they were one.
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“I would say yes”, Martha Karolyi said when asked if Biles was the greatest ever.
After her win, Simone Biles told ESPN she was “more proud of Aly getting silver than [her] gold”. She is the three-time world all-around champion, 2013-15; three-time world floor champion, 2013-15; two-time world balance beam champion, 2014, 2015; and four-time USA national all-around champion (2013-16).
Compatriot Alexandra Raisman got silver with Russia’s Aliya Mustafina third. Biles and Raisman finished first and second on vault, beam and floor.
“It doesn’t even feel real”, Biles said. “It was for people that came before me and inspired me to stay in the sport”, said the athlete.
Biles is now the first woman to win three consecutive world all-around titles and has just won her second gold medal in Rio. And when she broke down in tears after her near-perfect floor routine, celebrities, along with the rest of the world, could not help but love her.
Her reaction after the race was even better.
Raisman’s performance was a bit of revenge from four years ago, when she tied for third but lost the bronze to Mustafina on a tiebreaker.
But despite Biles’ great skill, there’s one move so hard even she won’t try it.
Simone Biles struck gold once again at the Rio Olympics, overcoming all obstacles and becoming the 2016 women’s all-around gold medalist.
“The whole time we’ve been here together that’s been our goal to go 1-2″, said Raisman”. “We’re lucky we have each other”. We are like sisters.
And Raisman pointed out how warmly the two Americans were treated by the spectators.
We don’t know about you, but there’s more than just their incomprehensible talent and agility that has kept our rapt attention every time “The Final Five” competes. Those really stand out for me. And she didn’t lose Thursday night when she cruised to the all-around gold in women’s gymnastics.
Biles, competing at her first Olympic Games, made a mockery of those who doubted her ability to cope with the occasion and added pressure of being the outstanding favorite.
Left unsaid was that she does it better than anyone ever has before. But no sooner was she saluting the crowd than she was waving to Raisman to join her in her gold medal moment.
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The highest finishing Brazilian gymnast was Rebeca Andrade in 11 place (56.965). And as the fourth American in a row to win gymnastics’ biggest prize, she gives the United States bragging rights no other country, in men’s or women’s gymnastics, can claim.
