FORT WORTH, Texas — It’s safe to say Simone Biles wasn’t scrolling Twitter mid-meet to check out the updated standings.
The reigning world and Olympic champion hasn’t lost an all-around competition in eight years, and she extended that streak in record fashion Sunday night. Her seventh title at the U.S. championships is the most for a woman and ties Alfred Jochim — who competed back in the days when gymnastics included rope climbing.
Biles finished a whopping 4.7 points ahead of Sunisa Lee, who also was second in 2019, the last time nationals were held. Or, as the gymnasts describe it, first in the non-Simone division. Biles had the top score in the two-day competition on vault, balance beam and floor exercise, and was third-best on her “worst” event, uneven bars.
Next up are the Olympic trials, which are June 24-27 in St. Louis. The top two scorers there – Biles and someone else – automatically earn spots on the Tokyo team, and a selection committee will choose the remaining two.
It’s easy to get complacent about Biles’ greatness. Imagine if, at the height of their careers, Tiger Woods or Serena Williams won every major. Not one or two. Every single one. For multiple years in a row. We’d come to expect it, not fully appreciating how lucky we were to witness something so special.
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