Simone Biles had the whole nation at the edge of their seats after what turned out to be quite a battle in Thursday’s gymnastics all-around final.
The USA Gymnastics icon entered the competition as a favorite to bag her second gold medal in the Paris Olympics. However, a mistake on the uneven bars allowed Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade to briefly take over the top spot.
However, in true Simone Biles fashion, the 27-year-old came back in a major way with strong performances on the beam and on the floor to win the all-around final in style.
https://twitter.com/jjowens_3/status/1819103370197491768
Andrade took home silver behind Biles, while American Suni Lee finished with a bronze medal.
For her part, Biles is now just the third woman in Olympic history to win a gold medal in two all-around finals alongside Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union and Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia.
2016 ➡️ 2024 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/2NTHGXt9qJ
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 1, 2024
Simone’s most recent historic achievement drew a heartfelt reaction from her husband, Jonathan Owens, who recently flew all the way to Paris after being excused from the Chicago Bears’ preseason training camp to support his wife.
2016 ➡️ 2024 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/2NTHGXt9qJ
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 1, 2024
“Another one!!!! ❤️ You’re so amazing ” wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Owens’ message perfectly represents how American fans feel about Biles now that she’s made Olympic history. Again.
“The best ever ! Congratulations!,” reacted a fan.
“that’s so iconic of her,” tweeted the official account of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
2016 ➡️ 2024 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/2NTHGXt9qJ
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 1, 2024
“She is the GOAT,” commented a supporter.
“Hell yell! USA,USA,USA! ” said another.
“Such a legend of the game. Well played. Long live AMERICA,” read a response.
Biles has a few more events left before she bids farewell to what has been another iconic Olympic run. She now turns her attention to the women’s vault final on Saturday before concluding her Paris trip with the women’s balance beam final and the women’s floor exercise final on Monday.
You can be sure that Owens and the rest of America will be locked in for Biles’ quest for three more gold medals.