Very few would bet against Simone Biles at the Paris Olympics 2024. The American won four gold medals in her debut Olympic Games in 2016, and while the 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign wasn't what anyone expected, Biles will be etching to make up for that in Paris this year.
Biles started her Olympic season at the U.S. Classic 2024, and it never looked like she was competing almost after a gap of nine months. She made a sensational comeback after the ‘Twisties’ incident at the World Championships in Antwerp last year and is now looking to make her Olympic comeback even better.
Heading into the Paris Olympics 2024 with the dominant form she has shown so far this year, the 26-year-old should be able to at least replicate the Rio Olympics’ success if not better it. She will be the favorite for gold medals on all-around, vault, and floor, her premier events, and for the other two, if it's Biles' day, it's very highly likely that she will be crowned champion on all of the five events, as well as the Team competition, taking her tally to a staggering six gold medals, and overall, ten.
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The seven-time Olympic medalist won the all-around competition in dominant fashion at the U.S Classic. She earned a score of 59.500 for the gold medal, also winning the gold on floor exercise. Biles placed second in Balance Beam and Uneven Bars.
Up next for her was the U.S. Gymnastics Championships where she once again looked a class apart. On the first day of the competition, Biles crossed the 60 mark for the first time since the 2021 Olympic Trials. A day later, she cruised to her record-extending ninth all-around national title.
Biles scored 119.750 in the all-around competition, while the next best of the competition came from Skye Blakely, 113.850. The 26-year-old swept the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercises as well.
It was only the second time in her career that Simone Biles won all five competitions at a professional meet, the first instance dating back to 2018.
Simone Biles felt ‘proud’ after winning her 9th all-around national title
Speaking with NBC after her triumph at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships 2024, Simone Biles claimed that the event was meant to prepare her for the Olympic trials, more importantly, the main event in Paris.
"Today, it was just getting out there and getting comfortable and confident in my gymnastics and hopefully going to Olympic trials and making that next step towards Paris," Biles said.
Barring 2017 and 2020, Biles has won the USA all-around national title every year since her first victory in 2013. When she extended her record to a ninth title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships 2024, the 27-year-old claimed to be feeling ‘proud’ of her performance.
"I couldn't be more proud of how I'm doing this time of the year, just getting that confidence. Over and over, getting myself back in front of the crowd. And just doing what I do in practice," she added.
