The 19-year-old American completed an extraordinary stretch that included a team gold for the “Final Five” as well as individual golds in the all-around and vault and bronze on balance beam.
Advertisement
The pair have been tweeting back and forth ever since news came out that Biles has had a long-time crush on the Neighbors actor, even revealing she has a cardboard cut-out of him in her room, which she says she “used to kiss on the cheek”.
BADMINTON BLUES: China swept all five gold medals in badminton at the 2012 London Games, but they won’t this year. Four of them gold.
That got Efron’s attention, but he couldn’t make it in time to cheer on Team USA to their all-around gold medal.
Whether Biles will leave the games as the best gymnast of all time is up for debate, a topic she will happily leave to others.
And Rio Olympic officials have one less trouble to worry about following robberies, stray gunfire and a falling camera outside the basketball arena. While she admitted she was a bit exhausted on Monday after her only one real mistake of the games – a wobbly landing on beam that cost her a shot at gold – Biles didn’t look it during her signature event. The U.S. had claimed gold on every day of the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. On legs she joked felt like rocks, Biles put together 90 seconds of effortless joy. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but for now Tokyo 2020 remains in play.
“This loss won’t take away from all that we have done to get here”, Marta said.
American Danell Leyva matched Biles and Raisman with a pair of medals of his own, taking silver on both the parallel bars and high bar. Heady territory considering Leyva only made the Olympic team after John Orozco went down with a knee injury last month.
For the first time in Rio, the USA men’s team managed to keep pace with the women thanks to Danell Leyva.
The US team led the medal table with four golds, six silvers and two bronzes.
“This was absolutely redemption, not only for me but for the team as well”, Leyva said. Teammate Sam Mikulak narrowly missed out on the podium by finishing a close fourth in the high bar final.
Amy Tinkler of Great Britain earned bronze, though the day – and really the Olympics – belong to Biles.
Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine, who took the all-around silver on last Wednesday, won the parallel bars final in 16.041 points.
Advertisement
Ultimately though, these games belonged to Biles, who planned to celebrate with pizza and some time off.
