Simone Biles has added another remarkable chapter to her illustrious career, winning the all-around gymnastics title at the Paris Olympics. This victory marks her second Olympic gold in Paris and her sixth overall, reinforcing her position at the pinnacle of her sport.
Biles, who first claimed the all-around title at Rio 2016, overcame challenges to become the oldest winner of the event in 72 years. Competing in front of a celebrity-studded crowd at the Bercy Arena, Biles’ performance was nothing short of historic. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade secured silver, while defending champion Sunisa Lee took bronze.
Celebrating her victory, Biles donned a sparkly goat necklace, a nod to her status as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). “It’s a little ode… a lot of people love it. They always call me the GOAT, so I thought it would be really special if I got one made,” she said. “The haters hate it, but I like that even more.”
At 27, Biles is the first gymnast to win non-consecutive all-around Olympic titles, demonstrating her remarkable longevity in a sport typically dominated by teenagers. The past 12 Olympic all-around women’s champions were teenagers, with the last non-teen winner being Ludmilla Tourischeva in 1972.
Biles set the tone early in the competition with her ‘Biles II’ vault, the most difficult in women’s gymnastics. Despite an uncharacteristic mistake on the uneven bars, she recovered with a high-difficulty beam routine, scoring 14.566. Leading into the final rotation on floor, Biles delivered a flawless performance, posting a total score of 59.131. Andrade finished 1.199 points behind, applauding Biles’ extraordinary routine.
Great Britain’s Alice Kinsella finished 12th, showing significant improvement from her qualifying performance, while compatriot Georgia-Mae Fenton placed 18th.
This victory comes after Biles helped the United States reclaim the team title earlier in the week. Reflecting on her journey, Biles highlighted her struggles during the Tokyo Olympics, where she withdrew from several finals due to the mental block known as the ‘twisties’. She credited her return to weekly therapy sessions over the past three years.
“It means the world to me,” Biles said of her victory. “I’m super proud of my performance and the fight that I’ve had for the last three years – mentally and physically – just to get back.”
Biles faced stiff competition from Andrade, who also won silver in Tokyo. “I’ve never had an athlete that close – it definitely put me on my toes and brought out the best athlete in myself,” she said.
A tense moment occurred when Biles made a mistake on the uneven bars, scoring 13.733. However, she quickly regained her lead with scores of 14.566 on the beam and 15.066 on the floor, securing her gold medal.
Biles’ record-breaking achievements continue to grow. She now holds 39 world and Olympic medals, with opportunities to add more in the upcoming floor, beam, and vault finals. With the team gold on Tuesday, she became the most decorated American Olympic gymnast, surpassing Shannon Miller.
Biles is set to compete in the vault final on Saturday, followed by the beam and floor finals on Monday, offering her more chances to further her legacy as the greatest gymnast of all time.
Melissa Enoch
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