Simone Biles proudly presented the U.S. women's gymnastics team with a gold medal, earning them a well-deserved place at the top of the Olympic podium.
She stunned the crowd on Tuesday night at the Bercy Arena with a spectacular performance, reclaiming her place as one of the sport's all-time greats. The 27-year-old said she has made history as one of the best athletes to have competed in her category in Olympic history. ESPNBiles took to the floor with a perfectly choreographed floor exercise set to the music of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, and within seconds it was clear she had regained the upper hand: Biles had officially won her fifth Olympic gold medal and made the Americans proud.
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of the United States (center) celebrates her victory and gold medal with her team, Team Italy, during the women's team final on day four of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Markus Ghiriar – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
The talented gymnast raised her finger in the air and blew kisses to the crowd after earning a score of 14.666 and claiming the United States' third gold medal in its last four Olympic appearances.
It was all but certain that Biles would win, but that didn't diminish the pride of the moment. The U.S. team grabbed American flags and ran onto the floor, jumping with pride as they celebrated their victory. They posed for photos and soaked up the moment as the crowd roared and cheered.
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 28: Simone Biles of Team USA competes on the balance beam during day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France on July 28, 2024. (Photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 28: Simone Biles of Team US competes in the floor exercise during day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France on July 28, 2024. (Photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/Getty Images)
Biles was able to overcome the challenges she faced at Tokyo 2021, when she withdrew from most of the competition, saying she was suffering from a “twist” caused by mental stress.
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 28: Simone Biles of Team USA competes on the vault during the women's artistic gymnastics qualifying competition during day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France on July 28, 2024. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
This latest victory in Biles' record-breaking career brings her total major medals to an astounding 38, according to ESPN.(Related: Video of pro-Palestinian activists chanting “Heil Hitler” at Olympic soccer match between Israel and Paraguay)
Eight of those awards came with Olympic rings, surpassing the previous record set by Shannon Miller for the most awards won by a U.S. gymnast.
