RIO DE JANEIRO — US gymnast Simone Biles flipped and flew to Olympic all-around gold. Her teammate, Aly Raisman, won silver, and Russia’s Aliya Mustafina took the bronze.
But forget the pressure. Forget the hype. Biles is immune to all of it.
She’s dynamic on vault. Effortless on beam. Jaw-dropping on floor. Brilliant all over. And now, finally, an Olympic champion.
The 19-year-old American soared to the all-around title on Wednesday afternoon, putting the gap between herself and the rest of the world on full display under the Olympic spotlight. Her total of 62.198 was well clear of silver medalist and “Final Five” teammate Raisman, who earned 60.098, and Russian bronze medalist Mustafina, who scored 58.665.
Biles became the fourth straight American woman to win the all-around title, and fifth overall. She also cemented her reputation as the greatest gymnast of her generation, and perhaps ever.
Her victory was never in doubt and she burst into tears when her long journey to this moment ended when her final total was posted.
Outside the Olympics, Biles is a three-time world champion in the all-around and a four-time U.S. all-around champion. She has won 14 world medals (10 gold, two silver, two bronze), the most ever for a U.S. female gymnast.
