Simone Biles secures gold in all-around, adding to 11-year unbeaten streak

(NEXSTAR) — Fresh off their gold medal in team competition on Tuesday, Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnasts took to the mat Thursday to compete for all-around gold.

Biles, 27, entered the event hoping to become the oldest women’s all-around champion since 1952. She also came in with an 11-year unbeaten streak in the all-around in meets she has started and finished into the finals.

After a performance only Biles could pull off, her streak will live on.

Biles jumped out to a quick lead on the vault, scoring 15.766, pushing her ahead of Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade. The lead was fleeting though, after a miscue threw off Biles’ momentum on the uneven bars, prompting a score of 13.733.

That dropped her to third place behind Andrade and France’s Kaylia Nemour heading into the balance beam.

Biles left the beam, apparently exhaling a sigh of relief, after a seemingly successful routine that earned her a 14.566. It bumped her to the lead partway through rotation three.

It was the floor exercise that ultimately ended the gold medal hunt.

Lee — who needed to complete the “routine of her lifetime” to medal, according to former Olympian Laurie Hernandez, who was calling the event on NBC’s broadcast — landed a 13.666 score on the floor. That guaranteed her a medal before Biles even touched the floor.

Biles took the floor last on Thursday. Heading in with a score of 44.065, she needed to maintain her lead from the first three events. More specifically, she needed to score at least 13.867 on the floor to secure the top spot.

After a Biles-like routine, scoring her a 15.066, the 27-year-old secured yet another gold.

This marks her eighth Olympic gold medal, and makes her the first woman to claim multiple Olympic all-around golds since Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia went back-to-back in 1964 and 1968.

Lee earned bronze, coming in behind Brazil’s Andrade.

Many have questioned whether this will be Biles’ last. She has been quiet about her future, saying her focus after leaving Paris will be on the post-Olympic tour she headlines. Biles is also married and has talked openly about the fear of missing out on life milestones because of her time in the gym.

Still, Cecile Landi — who has coached Biles with her husband Laurent since late 2017 — perhaps offered a little bit of insight after the American women won team gold Tuesday.

“She wanted to rewrite her story, the end,” Landi said, before adding a small asterisk.

“Well, that’s what she says now.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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