It was only a few weeks ago that US gymnast Simone Biles made history by expanding her arsenal of signature skills. The 24-year-old achieved the best score at the recent US classic in Indianopolis and stunned crowds by performing a Yurchenko double pike vault, a move that’s historically only ever been done by men. Now, Biles continues to add to her ever-growing list of accolades as she came out victorious in the all-around at the 2021 US Gymnastics Championships.
The Olympian came out victorious with a combined total of 119.650, seeing her take home a record seventh national all-around title. In doing so, Biles now surpasses Clara Schroth-Lomady who she was tied with and she needs just one more first-place finish at Nationals to be crowned the most decorated gymnast in US Championships history.
The feat is a significant one and speaks volumes of the talent Biles continues to show, performing consistently at her peak as she continues to defy all expectations. She won by almost five whole points, following by 2019 Worlds team gold medalist Sunisa Lee. Jordan Chiles, the 2018 Pacific Rim Championships team, vault, and floor champion, received third place in the all-around, having trained with Biles at World Champions centre.
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Still, in a field stacked with fierce competitors, all eyes were on Biles. She took the title on floor, vault and beam, however she didn’t pull out the iconic Yurchenko double pike vault for this competition. Even without it, she still wowed the crowd with routines that incorporated some of the most difficult moves in gymnastics that were executed with near perfection. For both sessions in the competition, Biles wore a leotard embellished with a billy goat in honour of her “greatest of all time” status.
In an interview with NBC after her win, Biles explained, “It’s really emotional, especially going into my second time doing an Olympic run. It’s really crazy, and I appreciate everyone that’s come out to watch and support us, especially after the year we’ve had.”
Biles will now look to compete at the Olympic trials, where the top two all-rounders automatically make the team for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
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