Simone Biles Wins Second Olympic All-Around Title in Stunning Performance

Simone Biles Triumphs in Olympic All-Around Competition

By Maggie Astor, Gabriela Bhaskar, Chang W. Lee, and Daniel Berehulak

In a stunning display of athleticism and resilience, Simone Biles captured her second Olympic all-around title on Thursday, surpassing her competitors by more than a full point. This victory was particularly impressive given her recovery from a misstep on the uneven bars, where she faced stiff competition from Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who ultimately secured the silver medal.

Vault

Biles showcased the world’s most challenging vault, the Yurchenko double pike—a feat that no other female gymnast has dared to attempt. The high difficulty value provided her with a significant advantage, giving her an eight-tenths of a point cushion over Andrade, who executed a Cheng vault. Although Andrade’s performance was nearly flawless, Biles’s slight step back on the landing did not diminish her commanding lead as they moved into the next rotation.

Uneven Bars

However, the uneven bars proved to be a challenging segment for Biles. She made a noteworthy error during her routine, misaligning herself during a transition from the high bar to the low bar. This mistake forced her to bend her legs to avoid a fall and perform an extra swing to regain momentum. Consequently, both Andrade and Kaylia Nemour of Algeria surpassed her score, leaving Biles in third place as they reached the halfway point of the competition. Meanwhile, Biles’s teammate, Sunisa Lee, began to gain ground.

Balance Beam

On the balance beam, the eventual medalists all encountered minor wobbles, but Biles managed to keep her errors to a minimum. She regained the lead by concluding her routine with an exceptionally difficult full-twisting double back dismount. Andrade, despite her slightly less complex routine and more pronounced execution errors, remained close behind, within mere tenths of a point, maintaining the pressure as they prepared for the final rotation.

Floor Exercise

With her unique and captivating floor routine, Biles solidified her position at the top and made history by becoming the first woman in over fifty years to win two Olympic all-around titles. Her performance featured two signature skills named after her: a triple-twisting double back flip with her knees tucked and a half-twisting double back flip executed with her body straight. Although Andrade stepped out of bounds once, she held her ground to secure the second place, while Lee delivered a strong routine to clinch the bronze medal.

Lee, who had previously won the all-around championship at the Tokyo Games in 2021, performed a remarkable routine that ensured her a place on the podium. She began with a full-twisting double back flip, landing it so expertly that her joy was palpable as her feet met the ground. As the final scores were announced, both Biles and Lee stood by, eagerly anticipating the results while holding an American flag, fully aware of the historic moment they were about to witness.