The floor exercise final at the Paris Olympics turned out to be even more surprising than we initially thought. Following the controversy surrounding Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal, Simone Biles faced her own challenge. In her Netflix docuseries, Simone Biles: Rising, it was revealed that a scoring inquiry was submitted regarding a split leap Biles performed during her routine, one that ultimately remained unseen.
If Biles’s score had been adjusted, she could have achieved a 14.233, surpassing Rebeca Andrade’s 14.166. It’s wild to think that with a few changes, Biles could have walked away with four gold medals instead of her final count! And thus, Simone Biles wrapped up the Paris Games with three gold medals and one silver, bringing her total to 11 overall.
Despite all the talk about that one missed gold, Biles made it clear that it didn’t weigh heavily on her. She took to X to share her thoughts, saying, “Honestly, not a big deal for me; Rebeca had a better floor anyway. Upsetting how it wasn’t processed, but I’m not mad at the results.”
So, does this setback dim Simone Biles’ shine? Not at all! According to a recent report by The Medal Count on X, Biles is still dominating, outscoring any other gymnast in the modern era. Well, ever since the modern 6-event era in gymnastics kicked off in the mid-20th century, the sport has really shown athletes’ skills in a structured way.
For women, this includes vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise, while men compete in floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bars. And there too, Biles has achieved some amazing milestones, like winning at least four gold medals in single competitions during this era. Yes, true!
Biles snagged four World Championship golds in both 2014 and 2015, and then she made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio. She took home five medals, four of which were gold in team, all-around, vault, and floor exercise. Then in 2018, her winning streak didn’t end there; at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, she added five more medals, including four golds. Now she has a total of 41 career medals.
Yes, Larissa Latynina also did it, but in just a single year, i.e., 1958. Then ten years later, Vera Caslavska achieved a feat in 1968, followed by Ludmilla Turischeva in 1974 and Ecaterina Szabo in 1984. However, none quite compare to Simone Biles’s wins in modern gymnastics. But still, Biles is trailing behind the 89-year-old legend.
Simone Biles is second to none, yet trailing the 89-year-old gymnast
“Looking at what gymnasts today do, I’m a little afraid.” This was said by Larisa Latynina back in 2021 after seeing Biles, who withdrew from Tokyo 2020 due to twisties. But she might be Biles’s next target. Why? read below.
Till now, Simone Biles has earned a total of 11 Olympic medals; however, she still trails behind Larisa Latynina, 89, who holds the record with 18 Olympic medals. Even though out of 11 Biles medals, seven are gold, along with two silvers and two bronze medals that she secured across the games held in Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024! And that’s not all. There are accomplishments to celebrate!
Simone Biles holds the title of being the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history with a collection of 30 medals under her belt. Moreover revealing her skills and talent on the gymnastics floor, she also boasts of having five moves in artistic gymnastics named after her. Yes, you read that correctly. As outlined by the International Gymnastics Federation, a move earns this recognition when a gymnast successfully executes it during competition at a specified level of difficulty.
At the 2013 World Championships, when Biles was 16 years old, she executed a layout with a half twist known as “The Biles” as her initial maneuver. Then there’s the Biles (Vault), a half-twist onto the vaulting table followed by a front double full somersault, which she showed off at the 2018 World Championships.
In 2019, Biles added the Biles II (Floor), a triple-double with two flips and three twists, and a beam dismount also named “The Biles,” featuring two twists and flips. Most recently, at the 2023 World Championships, she unveiled the Biles II (Vault), a Yurchenko-style vault with two flips in a pike position. But in the future, she is supposed to do one more.
Before the Paris Olympics started, Biles submitted a new skill for the uneven bars! It’s a hip circle forward with 1.5 turns into a handstand. Unfortunately, she didn’t get to show it off in the Olympics, but she might show that’s kill in 2028 if she were part of it. This proves Biles isn’t just a gymnast; she’s a living legend, inspiring countless fans around the globe with her talent!
