On Thursday, Simone Biles reclaimed the Olympic all-around title, defeating Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade to secure her sixth gold medal and her second in Paris.
Biles, who had famously withdrawn from several events at the Tokyo Games three years ago due to the disorienting “twisties,” added to her earlier team gold with the U.S. earlier this week. Defending champion Sunisa Lee earned the bronze.
At 27, Biles became the first gymnast to win the individual all-around title twice, having first claimed it at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She concluded her routine with an electrifying floor performance set to Taylor Swift’s “Ready for It,” her high-flying tumbling earning a standing ovation from the crowd.
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Biles scored 59.131 points, finishing 1.199 ahead of Andrade. Lee, who had been in fourth place before the final rotation, clinched bronze with her floor routine.
This marked the first time two female Olympic all-around champions competed head-to-head for a second title. The United States has now won the event six times consecutively and a record seven times overall.
With nine Olympic medals to her name, including six golds, Biles could add three more to her tally in Paris as she competes in the finals for vault, floor exercise, and balance beam.
