Simone Biles claimed her second individual Olympic all-around title, edging out Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade eight years after her victory in Rio de Janeiro. American gymnast Sunisa Lee completed the podium in third place.
Biles has maintained an impressive 11-year unbeaten streak in all-around competitions. At 27 years old, she is the oldest all-around champion in over 70 years. With this victory, Biles secures her sixth gold medal, making her the fifth-most-decorated Olympic gymnast of all time.
“It is crazy I am in the conversation of the greatest of all time. I just think I’m still Simone Biles from Spring, Texas, who loves to flip,” Biles remarked, as reported by Nancy Armour of USA Today.
This event marked the first time that two Olympic all-around champions—Biles and Lee—faced off in an Olympic all-around final. Biles is also the first American gymnast and the first gymnast in over 55 years to win two all-around titles. Furthermore, she is the first gymnast, regardless of gender, to secure the title eight years after her initial victory.
Andrade challenged Biles throughout the competition. A wobble from Biles on the uneven bars during the second rotation, her least strong apparatus, allowed Andrade to take the lead, dropping Biles to third.
However, Biles regained her composure and surged ahead in the following rotations, achieving the highest scores on both the balance beam and floor exercise, ultimately finishing more than a point ahead of Andrade. This marks the first instance in the sport’s history that all three podium finishers in Paris are two-time Olympic all-around medalists.
Biles’ victory comes three years after she withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics due to “the twisties.” Her triumph also extends the streak of American athletes winning the all-around final to six consecutive Olympics.
Looking ahead, Biles and Andrade will compete in the vault final on Saturday, while Lee will participate in the bars final on Sunday.
