There’s no denying greatness, and Simone Biles is simply the GOAT when it comes to her sport of gymnastics and athleticism. On August 1, 2024, the nine-time Olympic medalist claimed yet another gold after a tough—but stellar—performance in Paris during the women’s individual all-around final.
She clinched the win by edging out Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade who took silver and fellow Team USA gymnast Suni Lee who claimed bronze.
The star gymnast made history once again after becoming the first woman since 1968 to win two Olympic all-around titles, her first back in Rio in 2016. But, her journey to the 2024 Games hasn’t been easy.
“Three years ago, I never thought I’d step foot on a gymnastics floor again, just because of everything that happened. But with the help of Cecile and Laurent (her coaches) I got back in the gym and worked really hard physically and mentally,” the 2024 women’s Olympic all-around gold medalist shared after her historic event.
“Even this morning at 7 am I met with my therapist, and there’s a time change. She’s so amazing for letting me do that these last couple of days in Paris. So, just making sure I’m mentally well, and I think you can see that on the competition floor.”
This is Biles’ second gold medal thus far in the Summer Games, the first coming from Team USA women’s all-around final win on July 30, 2024. She will compete in three additional apparatus finals next week, which could bring her total 2024 Olympic medal count to five.
After a somewhat shaky performance on uneven bars during the individual finals meet, Biles was seen on the sidelines in a meditative-like state. Those watching around the world credited it as her tapping into her zen, especially since she’s been very vocal about her mental health—transparently revealing that she meets with her therapist nearly daily during the games and once a week in general.
“I’m not sure what the camera caught or what I was doing, but I was probably trying to refocus and recenter myself. Because it’s not over until it’s over.”
Bars was the second event of the night, and the pressure was on for the most decorated gymnast of all-time. Brazil’s Andrade also had something to prove and according to Biles, she’s always the one woman in this sport who can truly give her a run for her money. The two battled it out throughout the four rotations, with the 25-year-old Brazilian taking the top spot after rotation 3. It all boiled down to floor exercise, which happened to be both women’s best event.
With Beyoncé tracks merged into both routines, the ladies gave their all and left their hearts on the mat. In the end, Biles secured gold with her best floor performance of the Paris games to date, scoring 15.066. When it was all said and done, the two ladies could be seen embracing, genuinely happy for the other, despite the media trying to pit them against one another.
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca no more, I’m tired,” Biles joked during her post-meet interview. “She’s way too close, I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes. But it definitely brought out the best athlete in me, and I’m proud to compete with her. I was stressed.”
“All-in-all, I’m super proud of my performance tonight and the fight that I’ve had for the last three years, mentally and physically, to just get back competing on a world stage. I couldn’t be prouder.”
With the gymnastics events soon coming to a close, fans are now wondering what’s next for Biles. Will she officially say goodbye, or will she continue competing on the world stage? Though nothing has been confirmed just yet, she did share during the 2024 USA Gymnastics team trials that her focus will shift to her 2024 Gold Over America Tour after Paris, and once that’s done, she’ll make her decision on what’s next.