Biles, already an OIympic champion after leading the “Final Five” to gold in the team event, was briefly challenged by European champion Mustafina. Just days after Team USA scored a team gold last August 9, Simone had taken another gold the all-around gymnastics competition, with teammate Aly not far behind. “Those really stand out from my 50 years of coaching. It means the world to me”, she noted. She is the GOAT.
Advertisement
Simone Biles cemented herself as the greatest gymnast of all time with her all-around win in Rio on Thursday.
A three-time world champion in the all-around and a four-time USA all-around champion, Biles has won 14 world medals (10 gold, two silver, two bronze), the most ever for a US female gymnast.
The Fiji rugby sevens squad secured the country’s first Olympic medal, and will play Britain later Thursday to determine whether it’s gold or silver. “I’m just Simone Biles, but it’s incredible to be recognized for all of this success for myself and for Team USA”. I had to focus. Gabby Douglas, a third United States of America competitor, would have won the bronze medal if she had been allowed to compete. Her son, Jordan King, who is attending the University of Nebraska on a full gymnastics scholarship, has trained with Biles in the Spring gym. “I knew going into tonight I was going to get the silver medal because I was going to hit four events”.
Raisman hugged Biles gently as they awaited the final score – a mere formality – and tears appeared around Biles’ glittery red, white and blue eyeliner when the vision she once wrote in a scrapbook became a reality. Coming in third is Russian team’s Aliya Mustafina who got an overall score of 58.665.
Simone Biles: all-around, 62.198; vault, 15.866; uneven bars, 14.966; balance beam, 15.433; floor, 15.933. I’m relieved that it’s over but very proud. To me, I’m still the same Simone. Always a fall or two ahead of her competition, Biles could sleepwalk through her routines and still win.
Barely a month ago at SAP Center in San Jose, the US gymnastics trials unfolded and Biles was clearly the most elite performer, a wonder to watch.
Biles scored a 15.933 on her floor exercise to continue the Americans’ dominance, following Carly Patterson (2004), Nastia Liukin (2008) and Gabby Douglas (2012) as all-around Olympic champions.
Karolyi called Biles a “force of nature”.
With a wobble on an aerial somersault quickly righted, Biles spent the rest of the routine making the 4-inch-wide beam look more like a railroad tie.
“Because I knew I had finally done it”, Biles explained.
“I don’t think she’s even reacting to it”, said Aimee Boorman, the only coach Biles has ever had. Her coach said he believes Van Acker contracted a severe intestinal infection while training in Rio in July that sapped her energy.
Inevitability confirmed, greatness verified, Biles turned human on us afterward.
Advertisement
Pervasive violence is an everyday part of Rio, and a police officer died hours after getting shot in the head when he and two others got lost near a slum, the Justice Ministry said in an official Facebook post.
