After leading Team USA to gold in the women’s team final on Tuesday, Simone Biles has officially broken the record for most Olympic medals in gymnastics history. Their sweep is being regarded as a “redemption tour” after winning silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021. And while Biles, who bowed out of some of the events of the 2021 Olympics due to a mental health crisis, has nothing whatsoever to “redeem” herself for, her comeback has been a true marvel to behold. Heck, maybe living through “unprecedented times” isn’t always so bad, if the “unprecedented times” in question are watching Biles pioneer new gymnastics moves, solidify her place as the GOAT, and, somehow, win gold while suffering a calf injury. Biles, who competed in all categories (vault, bars, floor, and balance beam), held the highest scores on vault and floor, while her teammate Suni Lee—also returning from Tokyo—held the highest scores on beam and uneven bars. Jordan Chiles’ strong performances also helped the team secure a total of 171.268, with Italy, who won silver, trailing by six whole points with 165.494. By the time Biles closed things out for Team USA with the floor routine, the team needed almost nothing from her to win gold. But she delivered perfection, regardless, to standing ovations and a cheering, emotional audience. SIMONE BILES OFFICIALLY HAS THE MOST OLYMPIC MEDALS IN USA GYMNASTICS HISTORY (8) ???? pic.twitter.com/TePLWEfkbI — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 30, 2024 The dominant performance from the greatest gymnast, and one of the greatest athletes, of all time is even more meaningful when you recount her powerful words from 2021 about being a survivor of Larry Nassar’s horrific, widespread sexual abuse, which first became public in late 2016. Speaking to NBC about her decision to return to the Olympics for a second time, Biles said, “I had to come back to the sport to be a voice, to have change happen. I feel like if there weren’t a remaining survivor in the sport, they would’ve just brushed it to the side. But since I’m still here, and I have quite a social media presence and platform, they have to do something.” how about you amaze me and do the right thing... have an independent investigation https://t.co/58Gc9QUk76 — Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) March 14, 2020 More than 330 women and girls, including Biles and other former Olympians like fellow Olympic medalist Aly Raisman, accused Nassar of abusing them during his decades-long career. Gymnasts who spoke out described a culture of fear that stopped them from coming forward against USA Gymnastics for years. But, in 2020, when the USA Gymnastics account wished Biles a happy birthday (“HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most decorated gymnast of all time, @simonebiles! We know you will only continue to amaze us and make history! ✨????????????”), Biles responded by publicly demanding action and calling for an independent investigation into the forces that enabled Nassar’s violence for years: “how about you amaze me and do the right thing... have an independent investigation,” she wrote back. In 2021, citing her experience and voice as a survivor, Biles maintained that returning to the Olympics is about more than gymnastics to her: “I feel like coming back, gymnastics just wasn’t the only purpose I was supposed to do,” she told NBC. WOW. SIMONE BILES JUST DID THAT. ???? #ParisOlympics ???? NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/l4pLcI1QGg — NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024 At 27 years old, Biles’ path to her third Olympics this year would be unthinkable if it weren’t for all the other previously unthinkable things she’s done. As CNN pointed out in…
