Rio de Janeiro: US gymnastics star Simone Biles, whose incredible life story is the stuff of Hollywood movies, admitted on Tuesday she was finally living her Olympic dream.
Too young to compete in London, Biles had watched from home as Gabby Douglas and a US team dubbed the ‘Furious Five’ took all-around and team gold.
Four years on, Biles, 19, has eclipsed Douglas, 20, as the golden girl of the US gymnastics team.
And competing in a team now dubbed the ‘Final Five’ in honour of retiring national team coordinator Martha Karolyi, the US outclassed their rivals to take a third women’s team title in the Rio Olympic Arena on Tuesday night.
The score raked up by Biles, Douglas, Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez was more than eight points clear of silver medallist Russia.
“It’s everything and more than I’d hoped it to be,” said Biles as she sat alongside her teammates with her first Olympic gold around her neck.
“Dreams DO come true,” she later tweeted.
Despite being an Olympic newcomer, Biles is already one of the most decorated women in gymnastics history. A gold in Rio has completed her incredible rise in just three years with more titles on the horizon ahead of Thursday’s all-around and finals on vault, floor and balance beam to come.
As well as being the first to win three consecutive all-around world titles, she has won more world championships gold medals — 10 — than any other female gymnast in history.
“It didn’t feel like the Olympics it was just another competition for us,” admitted Biles.
“We are so successful because we believe in ourselves. Our team believes in each other.
“Personally I don’t think I felt pressure. I have this wonderful team behind me.
“That is what helps us.”
The hardest part will be refocusing on her other title bids, she admitted.
“We all have finals. The hardest challenge (now) is getting to sleep because we are so excited, going back to training and to keep pushing.”
It has been an incredible journey for the 1.45m (4ft 9-inch) gymnast born in Columbus, Ohio.
Biles moved to Texas at the age of three to be brought up along with her younger sister by her maternal grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles.
The couple adopted the children after their mother was struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. Two other siblings were adopted by Ron’s sister.
Biles calls her grandparents Mom and Dad and they were cheering in the stands in Rio as she collected her first gold medal.
“Tonight when I walked into the arena I knew exactly where to find them,” said Biles. “My brother was wearing American flag pants so it was hard to miss him.”
Dethroned all-around champion Douglas, who failed to make the cut for the individual final, warned Biles that her life would never be the same again.
“The advice I would give is it’s going to get crazy, there will be a lot of pressure and everything,” said Douglas.
“Me and Alexandra Raisman have prepared them for that. They are well-prepared. We gave them all advice.”
Raisman will bid to challenge Biles for gold on Thursday, after finishing fourth in the all-around in London following a tiebreak for third.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said the three-time Olympic gold medallist.
“Coming out in this arena it feels like you’re in a movie or some kind of insane, amazing dream.”
