Simone Biles claimed the seventh gold medal of her historic Olympic career on Saturday with her victory in the vault final.
In front of a star-studded crowd that included actor John Travolta, track star Allyson Felix, artists Pharrell and Flavor Flav, her teammates and her parents, the 27-year-old gymnast averaged 15.3 on her signature Yurchenko double peak and Cheng vaults to claim her second gold medal in the event, eight years after winning it in Rio.
That means Biles, already the most decorated gymnast in history, now becomes only the second woman to win two vault titles, after Vera Casalavska of Czechoslovakia (1984 and 1968).
The American has now won three gold medals in Paris, having already secured victory in the team final and the individual all-around competition. Her teammate Jade Carey took bronze, while Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade took silver.
Biles now has 10 career Olympic medals, tied for the third most by a female gymnast. She also increased her medal count at major international competitions to 40, the most by a gymnast.
Gymnastics legend Simone Biles claimed her second Olympic vault victory in Paris on Saturday.
The 27-year-old finished ahead of Rebeca Andrade (left) and her American teammate Jade Carey (right)
Biles averaged a 15.300 for her signature Yurchenko double peak and Cheng jumps
The crowd at a packed Bercy Arena roared as Biles was introduced. Wearing a sequined red leotard, she delivered another dazzling performance in what could be the last vault competition of her life.
She drilled her Yurchenko double pike, exploded off the block, then twisted back twice with her hands behind her knees, landing with a big bounce—a nod to the energy she generates—with her right foot on the out-of-bounds line.
The judges gave her a tenth of a point for that. It didn’t matter. Her score of 15.700 meant she only had to avoid a disaster on her second jump to win.
Instead, she nearly hit her Cheng, which requires her to first do a round on the springboard, then a half turn on the block, followed by a 1 1/2 turn while doing a front somersault.
Biles is only the second woman to win two jump crowns after Vera Casalavska (1964 and 1968)
The next 14,900 saw the rest of the field of eight women jockey for second place.
Andrade, the vault champion in Tokyo, produced two excellent jumps to claim silver and her third medal of the Games after a silver all-around and bronze team final. Andrade’s average of 14.966 was well ahead of the rest.
Carey, who slipped in the women’s vault final in Tokyo and finished eighth, won her third Olympic medal, adding to the floor exercise gold medal she won in Tokyo and the team gold she won with Biles on Tuesday.
Biles will have two more chances to add to her medal haul in Paris, competing in the balance beam and floor exercise finals on Monday.
