Simone Biles returns in style after a career break – 08/29/2023 – Sport

At this point, there is no dispute that Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast of all time. The debate over that status largely ended years ago when she started pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the sport.

Its consistency is also unrivaled. Since 2013, Biles has won 32 medals at world and Olympic championships, even after withdrawing from multiple finals at the 2021 Tokyo Games to preserve her mental health. The question is usually not whether Biles will win, but by how much.

The answer at the US Gymnastics Championships, last weekend, was a difference of 3.9 points in relation to the silver medalist Shilese Jones. Biles’ victory also meant that she broke a 90-year-old record by becoming the first American woman or man to win eight national gymnastics titles in the individual all-around category. And, at 26, she is the oldest woman to win the event.

The national championship came just weeks after their return to elite competition after a two-year hiatus. She easily won a qualifying competition called the US Classic earlier this month at Hoffman Estates. At the SAP Center in San Jose on Sunday (27th), even in front of a large and talented group of competitors, Biles looked better than ever.

This can be partially attributed to her serene attitude. “It’s just gymnastics,” he told his younger teammates. Keeping her posture relaxed, Biles avoided saying explicitly that she is looking to compete in the Paris Olympics next year.

“Personal goals and stuff like that, I think sometimes it’s good to keep them to ourselves, just so nobody can throw in our faces, ‘Oh well, that was your goal, and you didn’t reach it,'” he said. “I’m at the age where it’s like, ‘Hey, leave me alone.’ So, one thing at a time.”

On Friday, the first night of competition, Biles was close to perfection. Her two instabilities on the beam and one step out of bounds on the floor exercise were overshadowed by her nearly perfectly landing a Yurchenko double pike jump, a skill so challenging that no other women and only a few men attempt it.

The move – she launches herself in two spins with her legs stretched out at a 90-degree angle – received a high score of 15,700 over the weekend, even with a half-point deduction. She received the penalty because one of her trainers, Laurent Landi, was on the podium and beside the apparatus for her safety.

Biles didn’t show off the double pike in Sunday’s warmups or competition, opting to just show off a difficult jump named Cheng. Landi said that Biles injured an ankle on the move on Friday and that there was no reason for her to repeat it just for show.

The other events – uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise – were pure Biles: incredible height and speed and some small jumps on landings. The competition’s loudest applause and a standing ovation came as she secured the championship with an impressive 15.400 on the floor. Landi stated, “It was the best floor routine I’ve ever seen her do”.

Biles’ only bronze medal was on the uneven bars, which is her weakest event only because she is so phenomenal in all the others. In vaulting, she decided not to make a second vault on the final day of competition, which left her out of contention for a medal in that event. In addition to the gold in the general individual, Simone triumphed on the balance beam and on the floor, in apparatus decisions.

Biles acknowledged that she was nervous at every event, but stated that she felt capable and prepared because she was training more efficiently. “Age helps,” she said. “I can’t afford to go to the gym and spend all those hours.”

When asked which words described her feelings after the championship, she decided on “happy” and “hungry” for dinner. “Glad it’s over,” she added, “and glad to be back competing.”