Jordon Canada
Staff Writer
Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, and Simon Biles? Yes, Simone Biles has officially entered the conversation of the greatest athlete of all time. On Oct. 8, 2019, the 22-year-old gymnast won her 21st medal and her 15th career gold at the gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
Biles has dominated the sport since she first qualified for the world gymnastics championships in 2013. That year she won the all-around title and also took home silver in the vault and bronze in the balance beam.
At her first Olympics in 2016 that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Simone Biles entered the competition with 14 world championship medals and left with 4 gold medals.
Her next performance was on the uneven bars. Biles needed a near-perfect routine to keep the U.S. in the lead because she was following her teammate, who had just fallen during her routine. Biles who doesn’t really have a weakness swung and glided so elegantly from bar to bar on an event that isn’t necessarily her strongest.
Her double-twisting double somersault dismount from the bars, which is the only one in the competition, was executed amazingly. LaJada James, a sophomore English education major from Belzoni Miss, who watched Biles’s performance said, “Simone Biles was very posed during her performance on the uneven bars, and she made it look effortless.”
On the balance beam, she performed three backflips and dismounted with her signature two back handsprings, two flips, and twist, and she received a score of 14,333.
Biles finished the night with a fabulous floor performance and a standing ovation. Her final performance sealed the USA’s 5th consecutive World Gymnastics Championship, while she also added her 21st World Championship medal.
Becoming the most decorated female gymnast ever wasn’t quite enough for Simone Biles. On the morning of Oct. 13, her last day of performing, Biles stamped her name in the record books becoming the most decorated male or female in gymnastics history.
Biles replaced male gymnast, Vitaly Scherbo of Belarus whose record of 23 medals hasn’t been touched in 23 years. Biles now sits at the top with 25 world championship medals in which 19 are gold.
When asked about her accomplishment Biles said, “It’s an honor that I have gotten to compete for the country so many times, and I am proud of the performances that I have been able to put out for our country.”
At only 22 years of age, Simone Biles has accomplished so much in the world of gymnastics. Although she has stated that this may be her final world championship event, fans of Simone Biles can still look forward to her performing in the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Sierra DeLone, a junior English major from Los Angeles, Cali., said, “Simon Biles is incredibly talented, and she paved the way for other females of color who don’t necessarily get opportunities in that sport.”
Raegan Jones a senior English major from Ridgeland, Miss., said, “Simone Biles has broken records despite her age, race, and gender. It is that kind of perseverance towards adversity that inspires me to be successful and never give up.”
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