PARIS — Simone Biles is back on top of the gymnastics world.
But it’s not easy, and it’s not a given for many Olympic competitions on Thursday night at the Bercy Arena. In the end, she won her second gold medal of the event – becoming the third woman to win the title multiple times and the first to do so in non-consecutive Games.
But it takes everything – including some eponymous and superhuman skills – he has.
“It was really stressful,” Biles told former teammate Aly Raisman as she entered a press conference later.
The 27-year-old American has been known for big wins throughout his career, but Thursday was one of his closest calls at the international meet. After a challenging rotation on the uneven bars, which saw her feet almost hit the floor after she misjudged the transition, Biles had fallen to the unfamiliar position of third in the standings at the halfway mark. But he regrouped before going forward – praying to “every god out there” – and took the lead after the balance beam.
After closing out the competition on floor and scoring a huge 15.066 behind a tough high fly tumbling, she finished with a final score of 59.131 – 1.199 better than silver medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil.
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca anymore,” Biles said with a laugh. “I’m tired. He’s so close. I’ve never had an athlete come that close, but (it) definitely makes my legs work and brings out the best athletes in me.”
Biles’ teammate, Sunisa Lee, the 2020 Olympic all-around champion, earned the bronze medal. She has been looking to be the first woman in 56 years to defend the title, but, after dealing with various kidney diseases-jeopardizing her career since Tokyo, she seemed more than pleased to just return to the podium in any place.
Biles and Lee have helped the United States to team gold on Tuesday. They waited together on Thursday for Biles’ final score. After a flash on the screen, the two shared a joyful hug before running back to the floor and posing with the American flag.
Moments later, Biles showed off a diamond necklace featuring a sheep, to signify her status as the “greatest of all time,” a title that has long been bestowed upon her.
But despite her legacy in the sport, Biles admitted she wasn’t sure she would compete again after the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, when she withdrew from the all-around competition after experiencing “twisties” in the final days of her previous team. .
“I never thought I’d walk on the gym floor again because of everything that happened,” Biles said Thursday. “But with the help of (coaches) Cecile and Laurent (Landi), I went back to the gym and worked hard mentally and physically.”
Since then, Biles says she works with a therapist every week, and even more often during competitions. They had a virtual session on Thursday morning, as they did on Tuesday morning before the team finals. He credits the job with helping him stay focused after the challenge at the bar. He said that he had been disappointed with his performance in the apparatus – he knew he could do better – but he was able to recenter himself and move on.
Competing first on beam in the next rotation, Biles earned her highest score of the night on the event with a 14.566. As the last gymnast in the apparatus in the rotation, Andrade’s need to check the balance is very visible, causing the crowd to be surprised, and get a cut in her score. Biles looked more relaxed as she walked into her floor routine and waited for her chance to compete.
As soon as she got her opening tumbling pass, Biles seemed to know the gold medal was hers, and the crowd, including Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant of USA Basketball, responded. The rest of his act was almost like a victory lap. Biles said she was “overwhelmed” by the work she put in to get to that point.
It was Biles’ sixth Olympic gold medal and ninth medal overall. She became the first female gymnast to win nine career medals at the Olympics since Nadia Comaneci in 1980.
And Biles is far from done this week. She is scheduled to compete in the event finals for vault, beam and floor and can realistically claim a medal in all three. If she does, she will become the second best female gymnast in Olympic history.
Lee, who herself was unsure if she would be able to compete again before returning to the elite earlier this year, called Biles “one of the greatest” when speaking to reporters later. He also credited his teammates for helping him during the meeting — albeit in unexpected ways.
“I went out there and just told myself not to push myself because I don’t want to think about the past Olympics or even try to prove anything to anybody because I just want to prove that I can do it. because I don’t think I can,” said Lee. “But it’s been a lot. I mean, I’m very grateful that I have a coach, and having Simone here today definitely helped me a lot because we were both surprised. So it’s just nice to know that I’m out there scared by myself. “
Somehow Biles and Lee managed to overcome all the obstacles of the past years, as well as nerves, anxiety and doubt, and prove to themselves — and the world — that they can stand on the podium again. .
“I’m very proud of my performance tonight and the battle I’ve fought over the last three years mentally and physically,” Biles said. “Just to be back competing on (the) world stage (at) the Olympic Games is an amazing experience. I couldn’t be prouder.
