Biles is back where she belongs – flawlessly dancing, twisting and somersaulting to the very top of the gymnastics world.
On Tuesday, the most decorated gymnast in history, captured the fifth Olympic gold medal of her storied career after Team USA won the team event finals – three years after her 2020 Games came to a devastating end because of the ‘twisties’.
Biles, who now has 38 career medals (eight Olympic, 30 World Championship) and is only the fourth US female gymnast in history to compete in three Olympics, has called the 2024 Summer Games a ‘redemption tour’ following an emotional Tokyo Games that ended with her withdrawal over mental health concerns.
It’s been a long road back for Biles, but her Olympics redemption arc was completed when the 27-year-old powerhouse, along with Team USA stars Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, stormed to gold in the gymnastics artistic all-around event with a total score of 171.296 at Bercy Arena. Italy won the silver medal, while Brazil claimed the bronze.
Biles — who performed in front of her parents, NFL husband Jonathan Owens and the likes of Michael Phelps and Serena Williams — competed in all four apparatus in Tuesday’s final alongside Lee, Chiles, Carey and Rivera.
She played it safe with an easier vault that featured a roundoff and a half turn before a one-and-a-half twist. It earned a 14.900 score (5.600 difficulty and 9.300 execution) and an early lead over the seven other nations.
Biles was equally impressive on the uneven bars, following in the footsteps of Chiles, and scored 14.400 (6.200 difficulty and 8.200 execution).
The rest of Team USA did their part, including Lee, the reigning Olympic all-round champion, who gave a virtuoso performance on the beams, mounting with a split raising into a triple spin.
Chiles fell and Biles wobbled but Team USA were comfortably in first place at the halfway stage after the vault and bars, leading with a score of 87.432 – three points ahead of second place Italy.
Lee was once again flawless, this time on the floor. That was before Chiles’ mesmerising routine all but ensured the gold medal for the United States.
Biles then took to the floor to secure the medal for Team USA.
She completed the routine with a score of 14.666 — masterminded by French dance teacher Gregory Milan – to cap off a wonderful group performance from the US.
Biles now has the most medals in USA gymnastics history and celebrated wildly with her Team USA teammates once the gold medal was confirmed.
Biles continues to rip up the record books with her latest victory.
She now ties Anton Heida, who won five gold medals in 1904, for the all-time record held by an American gymnast (five).
Biles also becomes the oldest American woman (27) to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics, passing Aly Raisman, who won two gold medals at age 22 in 2016.
She’s also the oldest women’s gymnast overall to win a gold medal since Soviet Union’s Polina Astakhova did so in 1964 at age 27 and the oldest American woman to win an Olympic medal in women’s gymnastics in 76 years.
Tuesday’s triumph is Biles’ first Olympics gold medal since Rio in 2016, when she won individual gold medals in the all-around, vault, and floor, and gold as part of the United States team.
The Americans were the reigning silver medallists heading into Tuesday’s all-around final after missing out on gold as heavy favorites three years ago.
It’s the American women’s gymnastics team’s fourth all-round gold in history, having previously won three team titles at the 1996, 2012 and 2016 Summer Games.
Biles has been in fine form in the French capital, leading the all-around standings in qualifying despite nursing a calf injury that was heavily strapped up.
Biles earned an all-around total score of 59.566 in qualifying, with the American team scoring a 172.296, in front of a star-studded crowd that included Tom Cruise, Jessica Chastain, Greta Gerwig, Ariana Grande, John Legend, and Anna Wintour.
On the vault, she executed the Yuchenko double pike — known as the ‘Biles II’ — the first time a woman has ever done that particular move at the Olympics.
Biles will now switch her attention to the individual finals where she can capture yet more gold.
The American has qualified for the individual finals in all-around, beam and floor which take place between August 1 and August 5.
News Summary:
- Sensational Simone Biles completes Olympics ‘redemption tour’ with stunning gold medal in front of Michael Phelps and Serena Williams
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.