Team USA’s Gymnastics great Simone Biles made history again on Monday at the 2024 Paris Olympics with her final individual competitions, securing another medal in her distinguished career.
Competing in the floor exercise, Biles demonstrated her extraordinary skill and determination, even while battling a calf injury as NFL legend Tom Brady and other celebrities cheered on the “GOAT” of USA gymnastics.
Associated Press
Despite tweaking her left calf during qualifying last Sunday and falling during warm-ups today, Biles performed a floor routine with a difficulty score of 6.9, the highest among her competitors.
The routine, set to Taylor Swift’s “Ready For It…,” featured a flawless opening tumbling pass, leaving the crowd in awe. However, she went out of bounds a couple of times, which impacted her final score.
In the stands, Brady was caught mouthing “wow” after Biles’ routine. The NFL “GOAT” was among the dozens of celebrities who packed into the arena to watch history.
Abbie Parr/AP Photo
She concluded her performance with a kiss blown to the crowd, who responded with enthusiasm. Biles’ score of 14.133 earned her a silver medal, just behind Rebeca Andrade. Jordan Chiles took home the bronze in the event.
Earlier, the beam final took an unexpected turn, with Biles and her American teammate Sunisa Lee both missing out on medals.
Biles slipped and fell off the apparatus, scoring 13.1. Fans showed their unwavering support, shouting, “We love you, Simone!”
Francisco Seco/Associated Press
Lee, also scoring 13.1, missed her chance for a fourth medal in Paris but leaves the Games with six medals, including team gold and bronzes in the all-around and uneven bars. Biles was one of the first to console Lee after her fall.
Biles won her seventh Olympic gold medal, and her third in the Paris games, with a signature performance in the women’s vault final on Saturday.
She averaged a score of 15.300 with her Yurchenko double pike, a maneuver so difficult no other woman has attempted it. Her strong landing clinched the gold, eight years after her victory in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Three years after removing herself from the same competition to protect herself — a decision that changed the conversation around mental health in sports — Biles pushed her medal total in major competition to a staggering 43 and counting.
Yet her return to the Games wasn’t so much about winning. It was about a joy she had lost somewhere along the way.
Charlie Riedel/AP Photo
Biles said her next move is to relax as the USA Women’s Gymnastic Team completed their redemption tour.
The medals won by Biles and Chiles bring Team USA’s total to an impressive 74.
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