Simone Biles continues to shine at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, winning her third gold medal in the women’s vault final at the Gymnastics Bercy Arena. Biles’ extraordinary performance left no doubt about her dominance in the sport.
Biles executed her signature move, the Biles II, during her first attempt. This move, which is a double backflip in pike position, is known for its incredible difficulty, rated at 6.400, the highest in women’s gymnastics. This vault is so challenging that many gymnasts do not even attempt it during practice due to the high risk involved.
Her execution was nearly flawless, earning her a score of 15.700. This impressive score set her apart from the competition early on. For her second attempt, Biles performed a Cheng vault with a degree of difficulty of 5.600, scoring 14.900. Her combined average score of 15.300 secured her the gold medal.
This victory marks Biles’ 10th Olympic medal and seventh gold, adding to her illustrious career. She has now won three gold medals in Paris, having previously triumphed in the team event and the all-around competition.
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who had closely competed with Biles in the all-around, earned the silver medal with an average score of 14.966. American gymnast Jade Carey took home the bronze with a 14.466 average.
Biles’ qualifying scores and difficulty ratings gave her a significant edge over her competitors. No other gymnast in the final attempted a vault with a difficulty rating higher than 5.600, making Biles’ performance all the more remarkable. Andrade’s 15.100 on the Cheng was the closest anyone came to Biles’ scores.
