Killion: Biles stands alone in gymnastics history
RIO DE JANEIRO — The greatest of all time is 56 inches tall. A lethal combination of power and grace. Adorned in Swarovski crystals and sparkling eyeliner.
One of the world’s greatest athletes on the planet. Now or ever.
“Simone Biles is the best female gymnast that’s ever been,” said Canadian gymnast Elsbeth Black.
No one is going to argue that point. Not after Thursday.
Biles won the the women’s allaround gold in a performance that will have people talking for years. She will become the Nadia Comaneci of these Olympics, an athlete who broke the sport’s parameters and created a legacy that will stand the test of time.
When you start talking about the world’s most amazing athletes — Michael Jordan, Willie Mays, Jerry Rice, Muhammad Ali — add Biles to the list. She belongs. A human being who does things that don’t really seem humanly possible.
She capped off her fourperformance day with a mindblowing floor routine. When Biles finished and the packed house gave her a standing ovation, her all-business demeanor cracked and she burst into tears.
“Because I knew I finally did it,” Biles said. “Because every emotion hit me at once. “I was kind of a train wreck.” Hah! All athletes would aspire to be that kind of train wreck. She dominated the afternoon, along with her teammate Aly Raisman, who finished with a silver medal. When they did their floor routines, it was like the varsity came out to compete after a day of JV performances.
We got a taste of what Biles can do at the world championships the last three years and this year’s Olympic trials. But she has been even better in Rio, flying through the sky with no hesitation between mind-boggling moves. Propelled by some invisible string that only she can control.
“She is,” said legendary coach Marta Karolyi, “a force of nature.”
Raisman and Biles kept each other company and calm throughout the competition, telling each other they loved each other and exchanging high fives and hugs.
“It was so cool to share that moment with her,” said Raisman.
Raisman’s own story is amazing. She was a member of the gold-medal winning team in London and also won gold in the floor exercise and bronze on the balance beam. She retired after London, but came back for Rio. Now 22, they call her the “grandma” of the team. Grandma was overcome with emotion at the end of her routine when she realized she had won the silver.
But her story can’t compare with Biles, who was taken away from her substance-addicted mother and adopted and raised by her grandparents in Spring. She made her senior debut in 2013. Since then, she became the first gymnast to win three straight world championships.
Adding the gold medal gives her a legacy that can’t be touched.
Fortunately, the world gets to see more of her. Biles has a chance to win gold in vault (Sunday), balance beam (Monday) and floor (Tuesday). She was the top scorer in all those events on Thursday.
She’s been having a blast at the Olympics, taking pictures with other athletes and talking on getting fantweets from celebrities like Zac Efron and Kim Khardashian. On Thursday morning she tweeted, “what to do what to do with my makeup today ? hmm.”
Glitter. Glitter is always the right answer.
Biles will likely launch another generation of gymnasticsmania in America, like Mary Lou Retton did a generation ago. She has pushed the boundaries so far, it will be fascinating to see where the sport goes trying to follow her.
Biles said that a few years ago, Karolyi thought of her as “a bouncy thing.”
“And now you are an Olympic champion,” Karolyi told her.
One that has broken the mold. One that we will be talking about forever.
G.O.A.T.