Biles led a USA 1-2 in the Rio Olympic Arena ahead of Aly Raisman with Russia’s Aliya Mustafina taking her second straight Games all-around bronze. “I feel like I did my job tonight”, said the 19-year-old. It means the world to me.
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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. “And they know she only took one breath and ten strokes going in to the final finish of that 100 freestyle last night”, Cronin-Schlote said.
Biles accumulated 62,198 points in the all-around competition on Thursday, with the silver medal going to her compatriot Alexandra Raisman, with 60,098, and the bronze to Russia’s Aliya Mustafina, with 58,665. They’re the first Americans to share the all-around podium since Liukin and Johnson in 2008 and, by any measure, the most dominant duo in Olympic gymnastics history.
On Sunday (vault), Monday (beam) and Tuesday (floor) the diminutive American has three other chances to add to her medal haul. Later when she was asked how coming in second affected her psyche, Simone said, “Nothing”.
Biles surged in front again with 15.433 on the beam as Mustafina dropped back.
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.
The 145cm tall gymnast took home gold in five different categories, proving you don’t need to be massive to make your mark in the Olympics. Though her tricks are so hard they defy the laws of both gravity and physics, she did them with the effort and lightness of the little girl who once delighted in doing back handsprings for a home video. The bars have been Biles’ weakest rotation, but a 14.966 was good enough for her to maintain contact in second with better routines to come.
And then they inspired the nation, from fellow Olympians to future Olympians.
“That’s insane to think about”, Biles said when asked about winning five gold medals. His mother, Debra, watched in fear – she couldn’t swim either and was unable to help her son when he fell out of his inner tube. “No matter what, at the end of the day we’re basically like sisters and we’ll always have this moment forever”.
Bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina of Russian Federation wasn’t exactly brimming with confidence about her chances, either.
“It’s a pleasure to compete against Simone, but it’s very, very hard”.
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Performing in the same group of six gymnasts with Biles and Raisman, Mustafina took the lead from Biles after the vault and uneven bars. Only two competitors can compete per nation in the final.
