Simone Biles continues to represent the meaning of excellence in gymnastics, earning her ninth U.S. all-around title in an absolutely dominant display at the national championships Sunday. The 27-year-old Biles, often hailed as the greatest gymnast of all time, showed that she's still on top of her game and received some love from NBA legend Magic Johnson.
Said Johnson on social media, “The GOAT of gymnastics, Simone Biles, is back! Congratulations on winning your record 9th US All Around Title! It's exciting to have you back and it'll be a thrill to watch you participate in the Olympics this summer!”
Despite the massive amount of pressure in an Olympic year and the lofty expectations that follow her wherever she goes, Biles remained unfazed, cruising through the championships with an all-around score of 119.750. Her closest competitor, Skye Blakely, finished nearly six points behind with a score of 113.850.
Biles clinched gold on all four apparatuses. Throughout the competition, she made the world's most difficult routines appear nearly easy.
Biles' did have one notable mistake, which came during the Yurchenko double pike vault on Sunday night. During that event, she rolled backward upon landing. The minor misstep, resulting in a one-point deduction, was her only fall of the season.
It's no surprise that Magic Johnson – who knows a thing or two about greatness – called Biles the GOAT of gymnastics.
Simone Biles back on top of the gymnastics world
Each event victory was a reminder of her readiness for the upcoming Olympics in Paris. The win comes despite the challenges she faced in Tokyo three years ago, where she famously withdrew from several events to focus on her mental health.
Notably, Biles didn’t return from Tokyo with simpler routines.The approach is quintessential Biles: always competing against herself and raising the bar. After narrowly missing the 60.000 benchmark at the U.S. Classic last month with a 59.500, she surpassed it with a 60.450 on the first night of the national championships.
With two more performances at the Olympic trials before heading to Paris, Biles is preparing for an unprecedented level of pressure and attention. Reflecting on her Olympic experiences, she said, “Having gone to two Olympics, every one I feel like gets a little bit more stressful because I know exactly what to expect. I know exactly what I expect from myself.”
Simone Biles dominated the US Classic (now known as the Core Hydration Classic) last August on her way to a gold medal finish in her first event in two years.
After her victory, Biles shared that it's an important moment for her, especially since she really wanted to win it for herself. To recall, Biles withdrew from several events in the Tokyo Olympics due to a case of the “twisties.”
“I'm doing it for me. I'm going to put myself first,” Biles said of her gold medal finish.
However, she also made sure to thank her fans and the crowd that cheered for her before, during and after she made her long-awaited gymnastics return.
“It means the world because after everything that kind of transpired in Tokyo and it took a lot. I worked on myself a lot, I still do therapy weekly and it’s just been so exciting to come out here and have the confidence I had before,” Biles added.
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