As the last performer of the night, Biles stepped onto the floor to win gold best Olympic moment of the day for Team USA. After trying to move past that night in Tokyo, she began her routine to a Taylor Swift song in the Bercy Arena. Biles was ready. Her usual mix of grace, power, and speed created an unforgettable moment in gymnastics and Olympics history. She did everything perfectly. Even when she slightly stumbled, she kept going strong.
It was a great performance under the brightest lights, especially for someone who has faced so much pressure. Biles, who is only 4-foot-8, has a huge heart and, after years of therapy, strong mental toughness.”I started the day with therapy, which was exciting. I told her I felt calm and ready,” Biles said about her preparations for Tuesday night. “And that’s exactly what happened.
teammate Jordan Chiles was thrilled after that vault too. “Thank goodness, no flashbacks,” she said. “I was like, she just needs to be herself. So me jumping up and down was just relief.”Still, Tokyo was on her mind. “After I finished vaulting, I felt relieved. I was like, ‘Please, no flashbacks,’” she said. “But I felt a lot of relief. Once I landed the vault, I knew we were going to do this.”
From the moment she entered the Bercy Arena on Sunday to Tuesday’s medal ceremony, Biles was the most watched person in Paris. Every step was carefully looked at, especially after she hurt her calf during warmups on Sunday. Biles limped through the rest of the competition but still qualified for the all-around individual finals and other events. People were worried she might face the same problems as in Tokyo.
EGOT winner Viola Davis narrates GOAT Simone Biles's favorite Dr. Maya Angelou poem, "Still I Rise."
— Netflix (@netflix) July 16, 2024
Simone Biles Rising: Part 1 premieres tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/0Uix4J44vD
But Biles showed no sign of injury during Tuesday’s team final. Whether it was adrenaline or the pain was gone, Biles – at 27, the oldest American to win an Olympic gymnastics medal and now the most decorated American gymnast ever in the Games – made it feel like 2016 again. Holding the floor apparatus, looking at the big screen, Biles knew she had done enough to win gold. When the score appeared – 14.666, more than enough to clinch the gold – she exploded with joy.
First, she jumped and hugged her teammates before posing with the American flag on the floor she had just dominated. Then she lightly jogged around the floor with her teammates, soaking in the chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!”As the “Star-Spangled Banner” played during the medal ceremony, with gold around her neck, Biles had to feel like she had climbed one of the biggest mountains in sports.