Simone Biles reclaimed the all-around Gymanstics title at the ongoing Paris Olympics.© X (Twitter)
American athlete Simone Biles reclaimed the all-around Gymanstics title at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Friday. The 27-year-old, who won also won the gold in the same event at Rio Olympics 2026, made another piece of history, becoming first woman to regain the Olympic all-around title. Her compatriot, Sunisa Lee, who won the title back in Tokyo three years back after Biles pulled out of the event, could only claim a bronze as Brazil's Rebeca Andrade claimed silver.
Biles tip-toed her way onto the gymnastics mat with an electrifying floor routine to Taylor Swift's hit song "Ready for It?". Her performance got the crowd up on its feet at the Bercy Arena.
Bravo a Simon Biles championne olympique toutes catégories confondues avec un score total de 59.131
— MiMéNe (@bou_miimene) August 1, 2024
C'est vraiment la BEST, surtout la poutre et le sol ou elle a été incroyablepic.twitter.com/VnDLfINvUu
This was Biles' second gold of the ongoing games in the French capital, sixth overall, having led the United States to women's team gold this week. She is already the most decorated athlete of her sport.
Biles, however, could add three more golds in Paris as she competes in the apparatus finals on the vault, floor exercise and balance beam.
"Three years ago I never thought I'd step on a gymnastic court again, but worked hard, mentally and physically, even saw my therapist this morning, just making sure I'm mentally well," she said.
Biles won four gold medals in her Olympics debut back in Rio 2016. However, she famously withdrew from most of her events in Tokyo three years ago because of a debilitating condition that gymnasts call the "twisties" but earned plaudits for speaking openly about her mental health
In her absence, 21-year-old Lee took the gold, but only had to settle for a bronze.
Lee revealed that a little more than a year after her doctors told her she might never compete again.
"I mean, literally, six months ago I didn't even consider I would be here competing today. That was an achievement in itself," said Lee, who had been bidding to become the first woman since Czech Vera Caslavska in 1968 to win consecutive all-around title.
(With AFP Inputs)