The best gymnast in history
There are many reasons to follow Simone Biles (USA, 26 years old). The most successful artistic gymnast in history, with 37 medals between the World Championships (30) and the Olympic Games (7), has the opportunity to increase her record next summer in Paris 2024 for health reasons. psychological. He withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He took a break to recover. And it ended well. His life was not easy. And her story makes her a resilient woman: She was raised by her grandparents because of her parents' addiction and was the victim of abuse at the hands of the band's doctor, Larry Nassar.
Last October he returned to the World Championships in Antwerp with a smile brighter than ever before. Ten years after his first international championship in the same place, but without the brackets of his 16 years and with the moderation and maturity of his 26 years. He covered himself with gold and won five medals. And not only that: she made history by naming the jump Biles II, a jump that had never been achieved by a woman and was an unusual feat even for men. The most complicated exercise, resulting in the highest level of difficulty in the entire women's competition.
The World Cup is over, but the countdown has begun. “I'm not the next Bolt or Phelps, I'm the first Simone Biles,” said the 19-year-old gymnast at the 2016 Rio Games, where she was crowned world champion in her Olympic debut. After a decade in gymnastics, her reemergence was a prelude to her ultimate goal: this summer's Paris Games.
Every pirouette, every diagonal brings it closer to the top. She has mastered floor exercises, balance beam and jumping, no piece of equipment escapes her attention. Even if he stumbles, he will laugh again. And with safety restored, Biles will remove the thorn from their final games. And she will be able to prove, if there is still any doubt, that she is the best gymnast in history when she lands on the mat in Paris.
Irene Guevara