Simone Biles, widely regarded as the greatest of all time in gymnastics, has cemented her legacy further by becoming the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympic Games.
On July 30, Biles, alongside teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, clinched gold in the women’s gymnastics team final event. This victory marked Biles’s eighth Olympic medal, surpassing her tie with “Magnificent Seven” star Shannon Miller.
In a defining moment on July 31, Biles showcased her prowess with a floor routine set to Taylor Swift’s “…Ready For It?”, a theme resonating throughout Team USA’s performance in Paris. Her score of 14.666 solidified America’s dominance atop the podium.
Witnessing Biles’s historic achievement was Shannon Miller herself, who cheered alongside the Team USA men’s gymnastics squad.
This triumph is particularly poignant for Biles, who navigated the challenge of the twisties during the 2021 Tokyo Games, a disorienting condition where a gymnast loses their spatial awareness mid-air. Biles candidly described it as feeling “lost in the air.”
Looking ahead at the Paris Games, Biles is set to compete in several individual events, starting with the all-around on August 1, followed by the vault, balance beam, and floor exercise.
Biles’s Olympic journey began at the age of 19 during the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the “Final Five” team, alongside Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, Gabby Douglas, and Madison Kocian. At those Games, she claimed gold in the individual all-around, team all-around, vault, and floor exercise, in addition to a bronze on the balance beam, setting an American record for most gold medals in women’s gymnastics at a single Olympics.
Despite the challenges in Tokyo 2021, Biles secured a silver in the team competition and a bronze on the balance beam.
With her team gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles continues to add to her remarkable legacy, poised to compete for more medals in the weeks ahead.
It’s worth noting that American swimmer Michael Phelps remains the most decorated Olympian of all time, with an unmatched record of 28 medals, 23 of which are gold.
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