Simone Biles becomes most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast, is the one who leads Team USA to women’s team gold
Simone Biles led Team USA to a fourth Olympic women’s silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Consider the first leg of the “redemption tour” complete.
Finally finally, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team has returned to the top of the Olympic medals after taking home the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games (171.296). Italy won the first Olympic team medal in 96 years, winning it winning the gold medal (165.494). Brazil took home the bronze medal – the their first Olympic team medal in the history of the sport (164.497).
Simone Biles now has eight Olympic medals which includes five gold and has surpassed the famous Shannon Miller to become the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast in the history of the sport.
Biles as well as Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera have now landed themselves in the books of history as only the four members of the American team to earn the Olympic gold medal at this particular event.
Biles stated that after she landed her vault – which was the event that gave her the twisties which caused her to pull out of the team final, as well as several events in Tokyo She felt a relief.
“I thought, phew,at at least there weren’t any flashbacks or any other flashbacks,” Biles said. “I did feel a sense of relief after I hit vault, I thought”Oh yes, we’re definitely going to try the same thing again.'”
Carey is the current Olympic champion in floor sports she decided to not compete in at the team final following an unfortunate fall in the qualifying round. She later admitted after the event that she was feeling unwell.
“This is the most important thing to me. I’m grateful to be a part of this team and be able to contribute to this team today,” Carey said. “This week isn’t going as I had hoped it would but I’m happy for the opportunity to play tonight and get my task done, and accomplish exactly what the team required to see from me.”
Rivera, the smallest member of the U.S. delegation across all disciplines, was not picked in any of the teams -and the U.S. instead opted to depend on its veteran athletes. Biles and Chiles participated in the four events, and the current Olympic overall champion Lee took with uneven bar, balance beams and floor exercises.
“It’s simply been an incredible moment,” Rivera said. “Even working with them is awe-inspiring because I can see that everyone is working intensely in the gym, both physically and mentally. I was extremely happy to be there to support them tonight, and despite going through a lot and been through so much, we came together for the final day that is important. I’m extremely proud of the team and loved cheering for them tonight.”
Great Britain showed a remarkable turnaround following its seventh place finish in the qualifying rounds to reach the final. While the team took bronze in Tokyo however, many of the nation’s top athletes were injured prior to the Games and posed a threat to the possibility of winning medals. The team came in fourth place.