During last year’s world championships, shortly after her remarkable return culminated in a stunning all-around gold medal, Simone Biles faced a setback in her first vault final, resulting in a fall. It marked the debut of her Yurchenko double pike in a major final, and as she tried to find her footing after the vault, her legs buckled. Ultimately, Biles secured second place, finishing behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.
As her journey of redemption continues, with gold medals piling up, Biles reestablished herself as the greatest vaulter in history, performing exceptionally to fend off Andrade. She concluded the vault final with an impressive average score of 15.3 points, while Andrade scored an average of 14.966, and her teammate, Jade Carey, earned a score of 14.466, claiming bronze.
This marks Biles’s second triumph in the vault gold medal event, a repeat of her success in 2016. With three golds across the team, all-around, and vault competitions, she now boasts 40 Olympic and world medals, solidifying her position as the most decorated gymnast in history, both male and female.
In her fourth performance of these Games, the 27-year-old remains a key star. As she took to the mat, the very mention of her name ignited roars of applause throughout the arena. During her warmup, her timer vault—meant to establish her rhythm—drew gasps from the crowd. Among her admirers were the recently retired champions Andy Murray and Billie Jean King.
As the fourth gymnast to compete, with the top medal contenders following her, the anticipation built quickly. On her first vault, the Yurchenko double pike, she soared high, executing two flips flawlessly with only a minor step back upon landing. Her smile was instant as she rushed into an embrace with her coach, Laurent Landi.
As Biles returned to the runway, she received an impressive score of 15.7. Following that, she executed a brilliant Cheng vault, earning a score of 14.9.
In gymnastics, difficulty often leads to execution deductions, as gymnasts struggle with complex maneuvers. What stands out about Biles’s initial vault, and many of her skills, is her ability to maintain high execution while performing incredibly challenging routines. She achieved a 9.4 execution score for her efforts.
The American gymnast executed her routine flawlessly, legs perfectly straight and tightly packed in the piked position, landing with her chest held high.
Only Andrade achieved a better execution score than Biles, as the Brazilian executed two highly difficult vaults, the Cheng and the Amanar, almost flawlessly to earn a silver medal.
Andrade’s series of vaults was one of her finest, showcasing her talent as a remarkable gymnast reigning among the best of the 21st century. However, Biles remains unparalleled, consistently rising to every challenge with confidence.
Andrade acknowledged Biles’s direct impact on her accomplishments, stating, “Simone is from another world, but we always strive to improve and evolve in the best way possible.”
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“Watching her perform her astonishing gymnastics serves as motivation for everyone to push their limits.”
With three gold medals already in her grasp, Biles will next have a chance to increase her total on the final day of gymnastics, competing in the beam and floor finals on Monday. She is also the first alternate for the uneven bars, as she finished in ninth place, meaning she would step in should there be a withdrawal.
With the pressures of the team and all-around finals behind her, she seems even more at ease as she enjoys the concluding days of what has become a memorable Games.
“The Olympics can be a taxing experience for athletes, spanning several days of competition, thus it’s vital to manage both mental and physical well-being,” she noted.
“As long as we maintain that balance, we should be alright. And up till now, I feel great.”
