Having already obliterated her competition in both the team and individual all-arounds last week, Biles has proven she’s earned the unofficial title of most talented gymnast ever, one of many accolades endowed upon by those who know the sport well – and those of us who can simply recognize greatness when we witness it.
Advertisement
The vault was considered Biles’ weakest event, as she had never won a world title in the event. She unleashed a soaring Amanar on her first vault, taking a small hop backwards as she landed. American Haley Anderson won silver in the event four years ago in London. (The New York Times breaks it down into slow-motion.) She scored 15.933, the highest markings of the night at any rotation, The New York Times reported. LaShawn Merritt will attempt to win his second gold in the 400, eight years after he won his first. Don’t try this at home.
Here’s the five biggest things to watch from the Rio Olympics on Sunday. And now, finally, an Olympic champion. Number three. She’s making it look to easy right now.
“I apologize if what may have … seemed to be me really mad in the stands (on Thursday)”.
“I don’t think there will be another gymnast for a long time to come and do Simone’s difficulty on floor”, Comaneci said after studying replays of Biles’s routine. “I can be disappointed about that but I can’t be disappointed with the gold”. “It’s just so much”, she said. That’s.713 behind Biles. It’s kind of like a soccer team winning by seven goals, or a football team by seven touchdowns. Paseka claimed silver and Switzerland’s Giulia Steingruber pipped India’s Dipa Karmakar by 0.15 of a point to take bronze. According to NBC, Hong Un-Jong of North Korea tried a “triple-twisting Yurchenko”, an incredibly hard series of rotations that she ultimately couldn’t complete.
The 21-year-old draped the Russian flag over her shoulders in victory while celebrating a draining comeback from injuries that threatened to derail her career.
Douglas, who finished third in qualifying, had only missed the finals because of a rule forbidding one country from sending three gymnasts to the all-around final (Raisman finished second). And just before the Rio Games began, video surfaced of Hong performing a triple-twisting Yurchenko – a sort of unicorn when it comes to vaults – with the help of her coach. At one point Boorman pulled Biles aside and gave her a choice. She went back in front with a 15.433 on beam – and capped it with a 15.933 on floor that Karolyi called “very close to perfection”.
Advertisement
United States’ Simone Biles celebrates on the podium after winning vault gold during the artistic gymnastics women’s apparatus final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Biles could win an unprecedented five gold medals at the Rio Olympics if she sweeps her remaining events.
