After a thrilling all-around final, Simone Biles silences all doubt.
Friends, I predicted it might happen, and for a brief moment during the women’s all-around gymnastics final at Paris’ Bercy Arena, it seemed like it would: Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast of all time, was momentarily trailing. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade was right within striking distance! Yet, after a competition filled with more twists and turns than I can count, Biles emerged victorious, claiming the top spot on the podium and solidifying her status as the most decorated American Olympic gymnast ever.
At 27, Biles' latest gold medal also makes her the oldest female gymnast to win an all-around gold since Maria Gorokhovskaya, who won at 30 in 1952. Gorokhovskaya’s achievements now seem quaint compared to the evolved state of the sport. Biles' success is no anomaly; elite gymnasts today enjoy longer careers than in the past. And let's be honest, 27 is only considered “old” in some circles—certainly not in the world of gymnastic
The meet started off with a significant advantage for Biles. Although Andrade executed a stunning Cheng—arguably the best to ever perform that vault—the Cheng’s difficulty value of 5.6 was overshadowed by the Biles 2, or Yurchenko double pike (difficulty: 6.4). This is the skill that Biles has admitted makes her fear for her life every time she performs it. After landing this daunting vault on her feet with only one sizable step back—do not critique her landings; an under-rotated vault of this magnitude could result in severe injury—the competition was hers to lose. Then, she moved to the dreaded uneven bars and came dangerously close to losing her lead like never before.