Simone Biles Makes History With Record 6th Olympic Gold Medal In Paris

Simone Biles has time and again proven that she is the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) of gymnastics. The American athlete clinched an Olympic gold medal in the all-around crown at Paris 2024 on August 1, becoming the nation's most decorated Olympic gymnast. This was the 27-year-old's ninth medal-- sixth gold-- at the Games. Biles scored 59.131, while Brazilian sensation Rebeca Andrade captured silver in the event, scoring 57.932. Fellow American Sunisa Lee clinched bronze with a score of 56.465.

Simone Biles' Historic Career

Biles had earlier won a gold medal in the women's team event with Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera on July 31. She has made a splendid and much-awaited comeback to the Olympics in Paris. In 2021, the gymnast pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics where she encountered the "twisties" - a mental block that causes gymnasts to lose sight of their body positions.

After her Paris Olympics victory, she remarked in an interview with Olympics.com, "I never thought I'd step foot on the gymnastics floor again just because of everything that had happened but with the help of [coaches] Cecile and Laurent Landi, I got back in the gym and worked really hard, mentally and physically."

She emphasised how important regular mental health checks and sessions with her therapist greatly contributed to her performance. "Even this morning at 7 a.m., I saw my therapist, and there's a time change, so she is so amazing for allowing me to do that these couple of days here in Paris,” Biles told the outlet. She continued, “So just making sure I'm mentally well. I think you see that on the competition floor.”

She took a two-year break from the sport to work on her health, but returned last year and sealed her return with a historic performance at the world championships. In June 2024, Biles won her record-breaking ninth all-around title at the 2024 US Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. She scored an impressive 119.750, over six points ahead of Skye Blakely (113.850). Kayla DiCello (110.800) placed third.

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At 27 years old, Biles has already carved her name in gymnastics history with an unprecedented nine U.S. all-around titles. Her previous eight titles (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023) cemented her legacy as a sporting icon, and her most recent victory extended her reign at the top.