NBA Superstar and Team USA stalwart Kevin Durant called Simone Biles the GOAT (greatest of all time) after the most decorated gymnast became the oldest all-around champion since 1954
Biles claimed the gold in the women’s gymnastics all-around final on Thursday, August 1, her sixth in the Olympics and nine overall, the most by an American gymnast.
“Goat Biles,” Durant tweeted shortly after Biles’ magnificent comeback win.
A minute later, Durant followed it up with the perfect description of Biles if she was a basketball player.
“I really believe Goat Biles can catch a lob and finish. #bounce,” Durant tweeted.
Biles defeated Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade in a tight finish.
Leading by only a narrow margin of 0.166 points entering the final rotation, Biles put the game to bed and left no doubt she’s the greatest of all time.
💢 𝔸𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕚 ℝ𝕠𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕤 💢
💢 𝔸𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕚 ℝ𝕠𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕤 💢
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Gold for Simone Biles in the all-aroud. Her floor routine was astonishing. I don’t understand how a human can bounce that high.#SimoneBiles
2:32 pm · 1 Aug 2024
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Biles capped her gold medal finish with a near-perfect score of 15.066 in the floor exercise routine.
Durant can also stake his claim as the greatest Olympian in American basketball with a record-breaking fourth gold medal if Team USA, currently undefeated after two games, goes all the way in Paris.
Simon Biles Hints at Retirement
Biles was only 19 when she made her Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio De Janeiro. Eight years later and with 30 gold medals in the Olympics and World Championships, the 27-year-old Biles hinted at retiring.
“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca no more,” Biles told reporters, per Associated Press after her victory. “I’m tired. Like, she’s way too close. I’ve never had an athlete that close.”
She needed a near-perfect score and Andrade stepped out of bounds at one point in the final routine to capture the gold.
Biles finished with a score of 59.131 with Andrade a close second with a score of 57.932. Biles teammate, Suni Lee, who won the gold in the Tokyo Olympics with Biles taking a hiatus to take care of her mental health, took home the bronze with a score of 56.465.
Andrade, the silver medalist behind Lee in the Tokyo Olympics, gave Biles a big scare.
“Simone is the best, and she brings out the best of me,” Andrade said, per Associated Press after settling for the silver medal again.
“It’s good. I’m gonna hand it to her now – she can have the rest,” Biles said.
But before that, Biles still can add three more medals later in the Paris Olympics. She is scheduled to participate in three more individual events: vault, beam and floor.
Fans in Awe of Simon Biles
Biles wowed the crowd and the internet with her signature Yurchenko double pike vault in the all-around finals.
Fans, including Durant, were in awe of Biles’ gracefulness and great bounce.
“Simone Biles literally playing a different sport to everyone else when she’s doing the floor routine,” wrote one user on X.
“Simone Biles literally sweeping the floor. GOAT of GOATs,” wrote another.
“Simone Biles is the GOAT holy [expletive] what a floor routine. She NAILED it,” wrote another fan.
“Simone Biles on Floor is just spectacular to watch. A very well-earned gold the others are fabulous but Biles is near flawless 🤩” another fan wrote on X.
