Simone Biles secured her sixth Olympic gold medal in front of a jubilant crowd at the Paris Games on Thursday, reaffirming her position as the top all-around gymnast, three years after she had to withdraw from the same final at the Tokyo Games.
In a close contest between Biles and Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, the American found herself in third place following a subpar performance on the uneven bars. However, she regained her lead after a strong showing on the balance beam. As she prepared to perform last on the floor, she knew the gold was within reach if she avoided any unforeseen mistakes. She delivered a thrilling routine to clinch the gold with a total of 59.131 points, just 1.199 points ahead of her Brazilian competitor. Andrade secured a second consecutive silver in the competition, where each gymnast must demonstrate their skills on all four women's apparatus.
Biles' teammate, Sunisa Lee, the Tokyo all-around champion, rallied from a disheartening start on the vault to earn the bronze with 56.465 points. Biles added her second gold medal of the Paris Games to her collection, and her second all-around Olympic title, following her victory in the individual event in Rio in 2016. She also claimed the team gold earlier this week.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, had withdrawn from the event in Tokyo to focus on her mental health after experiencing the 'twisties', a condition that involves temporary loss of spatial awareness, which some gymnasts encounter when performing high-difficulty elements. Her withdrawal sparked concern among her extensive fan base about whether she would return to the Olympic stage.
