Simone Biles wins all-around gymnastics title for sixth Olympic gold

2 Aug 2024

'Unbelievable in every way!' - Biles clinches gold in all-around competition with stunning floor routine.

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Simone Biles secured her second Olympic gold medal in Paris, and sixth overall, by winning the all-around gymnastics title. This accomplishment solidified her position as a top athlete in her sport, adding another impressive chapter to her already historic career.

The athlete from the United States, who was victorious in Rio 2016 and was expected to win in Tokyo 2020 before withdrawing, became the oldest champion of her sport's most prestigious event in 72 years in front of a crowd filled with famous people.

Brazilian athlete Rebeca Andrade won the second-place silver medal at the Bercy Arena, while reigning champion Sunisa Lee secured the third-place bronze.

The most successful gymnast in the world, Biles proudly displayed a shiny goat necklace while celebrating - proving once again that she is the best of all time.

"This is a small tribute... many people adore it. They often refer to me as the Greatest of All Time, so I thought it would be really meaningful if I had one created," she explained.

The critics may disapprove, but I embrace it even more. It's a unique aspect of myself that I hold dear.

"In the village where the athletes stay, I keep a plush goat as a source of motivation. It serves as a reminder that I have the ability to succeed, as I have proven in the past. It's a little boost of encouragement before I head out to compete."

Biles, who is 27 years old, made history by becoming the first gymnast to win multiple all-around Olympic titles, showing her endurance in a sport that is usually dominated by younger athletes.

In the last 12 Olympic games, the winners of the women's all-around competition have all been teenagers. The only exception was Ludmilla Tourischeva, who was 20 years old when she won in 1972.

Biles Clinches Another Gold

Biles' goal was obvious from the beginning of the Thursday session.

Beginning with her 'Biles II' vault - the most difficult in women's gymnastics - turned out to be a smart move since she required the additional points as a cushion when she made an unusual error on the uneven bars.

"I'm grateful that we were able to successfully perform the double pike on vault today, as I didn't have it in my original plan," she expressed.

Andrade was in second place after the first two rotations, but she wowed the crowd with a challenging routine on the balance beam. Despite the narrow 10cm-wide beam, she managed to stay on and score 14.566. This impressive performance put her back in the lead. The audience was thrilled and gave her a standing ovation.

Leading by 0.166 going into the last round on the floor, Biles was the final performer and showcased her top skills flawlessly, earning a total score of 59.131.

This means she finished a solid 1.199 ahead of Andrade, who could only congratulate and appreciate what her competitor had accomplished, just like everyone else in the crowded arena.

Alice Kinsella from Great Britain finished in 12th place after showing significant improvement from her qualifying round. Georgia-Mae Fenton, also from Great Britain, finished in 18th place.

Simone Biles has achieved a total of six Olympic gold medals, along with one silver and two bronze medals.

She Won Gold, But It Was Stressful

Biles led the United States to victory in the team competition two days ago, but on Thursday evening she was focused on reclaiming her title as the top gymnast in the world after facing challenges in Tokyo.

The stress of living up to expectations at the Games three years ago, her challenges of being away from her family due to pandemic restrictions, and her difficulties in several finals due to the mental block known as the 'twisties' have all been widely reported.

Biles, who came back to gymnastics after a two-year hiatus last summer, shared with the press that she has been attending therapy sessions on a weekly basis for the last three years, including during the current Games.

"It is incredibly meaningful to me," she expressed about her win.

I am extremely proud of the effort and determination I have shown over the past three years, both mentally and physically, to make a comeback.

However, her journey to winning the gold medal was not smooth. She admitted, "I have never experienced so much stress before - I am grateful for Rebeca's support."

She even mentioned that she didn't want to face the Brazilian athlete in competition again, but that will be difficult in Paris since they have both made it to the finals for vault, beam, and floor.

"I've never had a competitor who pushed me so hard - it really made me step up my game and bring out my full potential as an athlete," she said of Andrade, who also won the silver medal in Tokyo.

There was a collective gasp in the arena, which included celebrities like Kendall Jenner and basketball player Stephen Curry, when she made a mistake during her transition to the lower bar. She had to bend both knees to prevent herself from falling and missed a connection, resulting in a score of 13.733 on the uneven bars.

However, typically considered the least strong out of her four routines, she quickly received encouragement from her husband that she still had a chance to win. With scores of 14.566 on the beam and 15.066 on the floor, she was able to catch up and pull ahead.

View: Top performances from 'superstar' Biles in all-around final

Biles' Brilliance In Statistics

Biles mentioned that she doesn't focus on keeping track of her numbers. She believes that it's more important to simply go out and enjoy doing what she loves.

Some might argue that keeping track of numerous records can be quite challenging. During the press conference, she made sure to clarify that she actually had nine Olympic medals, not just nine golds.

This championship was special; it marked the first time two female Olympic all-around champions competed against each other for a second title. Biles went up against her team-mate Lee, who won gold in Tokyo 2020.

Biles had the most awards of any gymnast before the Paris Games.

She had won a total of 37 medals from world championships and the Olympics. Now, she has increased that number to 39. There are opportunities for her to gain even more medals in the upcoming floor, beam, and vault finals.

After winning the team gold on Tuesday, she now has a total of nine Olympic medals, surpassing Shannon Miller as the most successful American Olympic gymnast.

Biles has achieved the most titles in women's all-around world championships (six) and has won the most medals at World Championships (30).

On Thursday, she had the opportunity to break a new record. If she had successfully executed a new routine on the uneven bars that she had presented to the International Gymnastics Federation, she would have been the only current gymnast with skills named after her on all four apparatus.

However, she didn't even try - and didn't have to because she had plenty of other special skills that were very valuable and helped her win the gold medal.