Simone Biles celebrated her return to the top of gymnastics by winning the Olympic all-around title at Bercy Arena, making history as the first woman to win multiple Olympic all-around gold medals since 1968 and only the third ever.
After leaving the Tokyo Olympics feeling unsure about her future, Biles triumphed in Paris, blowing kisses to the crowd.
When she landed her final tumbling pass, securing her sixth Olympic gold medal, U.S. teammate Suni Lee celebrated by clapping and jumping with joy.
Lee, who overcame kidney diseases to compete, took the bronze medal, which felt like a significant victory after her health challenges. Both athletes held a corner of the U.S. flag together at the end of the meet.
Biles extended the U.S.’s streak of winning women’s all-around titles to six consecutive Olympics, just days after leading the U.S. team to its third team gold medal in four Olympics. Biles, at 27, and Lee, at 21, are key members of the U.S. team known as “the Golden Girls,” the oldest U.S. women’s gymnastics team since 1952. Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade won silver, trailing Biles by 1.199 points.
Biles made a remarkable comeback after withdrawing from Tokyo due to mental health concerns. She is now the oldest female all-around Olympic champion since 1952 and the first to win individual titles in nonconsecutive Games.
Andrade, who won the vault title last year and has battled multiple ACL tears, began the competition strongly. Despite a slip on bars, Biles rebounded with a strong beam routine, taking the lead going into the floor exercise.
Lee entered the final rotation in third place but earned a 13.666 on floor to secure her medal. The final showcased a shift in gymnastics with older champions, as opposed to the typically teenage winners of past Olympics.
Nadia Comaneci, the first gymnast to score a perfect 10, commented on Biles’ achievements, noting that Biles is likely to surpass her medal count.
With three more event finals to come, Biles is third on the all-time Olympic gold medal list, behind Larisa Latynina and Vera Caslavska.
She ended the night with a diamond-encrusted “GOAT” necklace, symbolizing her status as the greatest of all time.
