Artistic gymnastics: Simone Biles becomes two-time all-around Olympic champion
"Re-be-ca, Re-be-ca" chant the Brazilian fans. Here comes Rebeca Andrade. Can she spring the surprise?
Oh! Has Andrade stepped back out of bounds on her first tumbling pass? That could be costly given every tenth is important.
With all other gymnasts having completed their competition tonight, all eyes are left on Andrade on floor in the middle of the arena and Simone Biles to follow.
It’s a fantastic routine, but I don’t know if it will be enough, and I don’t know if she thinks it will be enough. She slaps hands with Biles, who will be the last up on floor.
It’s 14.033! So, as the arena erupts into screams and cheers for the one everyone has come to see, Biles knows exactly what she needs: 13.867.
A massive first tumbling pass! She just needs to keep everything else clean. Every nailed landing is eliciting a massive roar from this crowd. Sunisa Lee is clapping her on.
On the third tumbling pass, she has to step forward and may have gone out of bounds? It won’t matter. Everything else has been nailed.
There is a standing ovation from everyone in the house, and the USA Basketball men are also making lots of noise for Biles, who looks absolutely spent.
"U-S-A" chants now from the whole crowd. Lee is also applauding.
It’s a big 15.066!
Simone Biles becomes the third woman to win two all-around Olympic titles after Vera Caslavska and Larisa Latynina, and the first to do so in editions that were not back-to-back.
She and Suni Lee, with a U.S. flag, jump into the centre of the floor podium to celebrate. Rebeca Andrade is also celebrating and hugging other gymnasts with the Brazilian flag.
- Simone Biles (USA) 59.131
- Rebeca Andrade (BRA) 57.932
- Sunisa Lee (USA) 56.465
