Simone Biles did what she does best: She won. Biles, the undisputed G.O.A.T. in women’s gymnastics, crushed her floor routine on Thursday to win the gold medal in the all-around competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. And the arena — and the internet — promptly erupted in cheers.
It was a much closer competition than most would have predicted after Biles made a few mistakes in the uneven bars. Biles, however, was too strong overall in the other three events — vault, balance beam, and floor. It’s the sixth Olympic gold medal of her career.
It has been a triumphant Olympics for Biles. The win in the all-around follows the United States cruising to gold in the team event on Tuesday.
Her last Olympics experience was difficult. She had to withdraw from much of the 2021 games in Tokyo while dealing with “the twisties,” which is a dangerous phenomenon where gymnasts encounter a mental block doing their routines. The return to glory at the 2024 games marks a remarkable comeback. Since Biles also took home the gold at Rio 2016, the win on Thursday marked the first woman to win two all-around Olympic titles in decades, dating back to the ’60s.
It was a huge day for Biles and confirmation of something we already knew: She’s the best to ever do it.
