“I’m feeling like a whirlwind of emotions”.
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Simone Biles put on a brilliant performance to give the US women a fourth straight gold medal in all-around gymnastics, soaring past fellow American Aly Raisman and Russian bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina. She and Raisman joined Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson in 2008 as the only US gymnasts to win gold and silver in the same Olympic final.
Biles now has won 14 consecutive all-around finals.
Biles packs so much difficulty into her routines that she starts with a point or two cushion.
Biles was not considered one of the great American prospects.
“Well, obviously, yes!” she said with emphasis, as if to say, “Duh!”
“Because I knew I had finally done it”, Biles explained.
“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps, I’m the first Simone Biles“. Karolyi told Boorman in 2011 that they both had work to do to groom Biles into an Olympic-level gymnast. Glitter from Biles’ eyes dried on her cheeks. “You’re going to freak out”. You can go and be a collegiate champion and be famous in college. “If- not if, when she pulls it off, I’m going to absolutely break down and cry”.
So Biles made the tearful, social life-sacrificing decision not to attend public high school, freeing up hours to pursue elite gymnastics. Other gymnasts have to hope she falls or is sloppy. “So it completely had to change her lifestyle”.
British riders have dominated the velodrome in 2008 and 2012 and three-time Olympic gold medallist Jason Kenny will be looking to guide his teammates to glory in the men’s team sprint. She started the night with a 15.866 in the vault. “It’s about having patience and working on little things”.
The 19-year-old American soared to the all-around title on Thursday, putting the gap between herself and the rest of the world on full display under the Olympic spotlight.
Biles was too young for London 2012, not that she was competitive with any member of the Fierce Five then anyway.
Then she moved up to the senior age level in 2013. During the victory ceremony, “The Star-Spangled Banner” officially played for Biles today, but the celebration was as much for Raisman as it was for her GOAT-status teammate. She saw a sports psychologist. Biles took first and Raisman placed second at the all-around competition last Sunday. This time, the 22-year-old team captain the Americans call “grandma” was well ahead.
Undefeated since she placed second behind 2012 Olympian Kyla Ross at a friendly meet in Germany three years ago, 19-year-old Biles has dominated domestic and worldwide competition, becoming a 10-time world champion in just three years. “Well, she maintained it, and she continued to get better through the quad”. Let’s try to win it.
Open champion Henrik Stenson is the favorite to bring home a gold medal for Sweden, followed by Sergio Garcia of Spain, Britain’s Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson of the U.S.
Simone Biles does the hardest gymnastics skills in the world-for fun, in practice. “It passes through your mind in the moment when something comes out as good as this”.
But Raisman threw herself back into training and, despite a few bumpy performances at world championships previous year, showed up this summer looking physically and mentally stronger than she did in her first attempt at 18.
Boorman stressed that Thursday’s rout was “a cherry on top” rather than the whole sundae so many make the Olympics out to be. She knew that any infinitesimal shot at the title was over.
Biles can prove it further this weekend. 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”. She is favored in all three.
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Only one woman in any sport has bagged five golds at a single Games – East German swimmer Kristin Otto at Seoul 1988, who actually won six.
