Video: Paris 2024: Simone Biles Dominates, Clinches Gold

Simone Biles solidified her status as the greatest gymnast of all time at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, proudly displaying her GOAT (Greatest of All Time) necklace to a television camera after clinching her sixth Olympic gold medal. The win marked a triumphant return for Biles, who had stepped back from the all-around final at the Tokyo Games three years earlier.

At 27, Biles surpassed Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade by 1.199 points to become the oldest gymnast since 1952 to win this prestigious title. Owning an impressive collection of 39 world and Olympic medals, Biles expressed her astonishment at being considered one of the greatest athletes ever. “It’s crazy that I am in the conversation of greatest of all athletes because I still just think that I’m Simone Biles from Spring, Texas who loves to flip,” she remarked.

The competition was tightly contested with Andrade, especially after Biles found herself in third place following a less-than-perfect performance on the uneven bars. Biles had over-rotated during a transition, necessitating a knee bend to avoid hitting the ground, and required an extra swing to continue.

Despite the mishap, which resulted in her lowest score of the Paris Games at 13.733 points, Biles quickly recovered. Within half an hour, she had regained the lead after a strong performance on the balance beam.

Biles’ victory was sealed during her final event, the floor exercise, where she performed last. Despite feeling the pressure from Andrade, Biles delivered an electrifying routine that secured the gold with a total score of 59.131 points. “I don’t want to compete with Rebecca no more. I’m tired. Rebeca pushes me to be my best, she’s a phenomenal athlete,” Biles admitted.

Andrade, who finished with the silver medal for the second consecutive Olympics, showed sportsmanship by applauding Biles’ performance even before the final scores were announced. The mutual respect was evident as Andrade expressed honor in pushing Biles to excel.

Meanwhile, Sunisa Lee, another American gymnast, overcame a disappointing start to capture the bronze with 56.465 points. This competition followed Biles’ earlier withdrawal from the Tokyo Games to focus on her mental health after experiencing the “twisties,” a disorienting condition affecting spatial awareness.

Biles’ comeback in Paris was further highlighted by her leading the U.S. team to a gold medal earlier in the week, adding to her storied Olympic legacy. She also became the first woman since Vera Caslavska in 1968 to win multiple all-around titles at the Olympics and has her sights set on additional golds in the vault, floor exercise, and balance beam finals.