Simone Biles remains at the top – even when she’s not unmistaken.
Biles defeated Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade during a tense Olympic all-around final today. The American gymnastics superstar’s total of 59.131 was just over a point ahead of her Brazilian opponent, 1 of the closest calls Simone has ever experienced at a major competition.
Greatest of all time. 🐐@Simone_Biles breaks a 120-year-old record to become the only U.S. gymnast to win six Olympic gold medals.#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/7Gg3r6aavx
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 1, 2024
Sunisa Lee, the Tokyo Olympics champ, finished 3rd despite spending much of the last 15 months dealing with multiple kidney problems that made her participation in Paris in doubt.
The winning margin was the smallest in a major international tournament since the American won the 3rd of her record 6 world championship 9 years ago.
Simone (26) became the 3rd woman to become a 2-time Olympic champ, joining Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union in 1956 and 1960 and Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia in 1964 and 1968.
The American is also the oldest woman to secure the gold medal in her sport since then-30-year-old Maria Gorokhovskaya of the Soviet Union triumphed at the 1st-ever Olympic all-around in Australia in 1952.
Simone Biles rocking a goat chain under her gold medal is too tough 😤🐐 pic.twitter.com/C2VrINDWzG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 1, 2024