Rio Olympics 2016: Is Simone Biles the greatest women’s gymnast ever?
By Nick Tylwalk
Clearly, the hype about Simone Biles possibly deserving the title of greatest female gymnast of all time was justified.
She’s not unbeatable, as she herself has mentioned, but preventing Simone Biles from winning gold medals is largely a matter of other gymnasts doing their routines perfectly and then hoping she makes mistakes.
That didn’t happen much in Rio. Biles stumbled slightly on the balance beam, where her performance was still good enough to earn a bronze medal. Even her mess-ups turn into podium finished.
Everywhere else, she was as good as promised. Five possible medals — she didn’t qualify on the uneven bars, the only place she could be considered to have a vague weakness — four golds and one bronze.
It was as impressive a performance as any women’s gymnast has put on in recent memory. Teammate Aly Raisman, who looked at least as good, if not better, than she did in 2012 in London in the all-around and floor exercise, still couldn’t keep up with Biles.
The debate about whether she’s the best of all time ultimately might be one of dominance versus longevity. While Biles’ star is burning as bright as any ever has, it also might be burning out now. She was an unfortunate victim of the every four years nature of the Olympics, slightly too young to be on the “Fierce Five” in London.
For the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles will be 23. That’s on the old side for a top notch gymnast in international competition — consider that many had doubts about Raisman, 22, making it back in top form for Rio — but it’s certainly not unprecedented.
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In the stick and ball sports, athletes don’t make their respective Halls of Fame for just having one really good season. Voters and fans demand high performance over a period of time, and that’s something that circumstance may take away from Biles.
Will Biles still have the drive to put herself through more long hours in the gym after she’s already accomplished so much? If she does, that might be even more awe-inspiring than what she did in dismantling the competition in Rio. And if she shows up in Tokyo in anything like the form she just displayed, it would slam the door on the greatest of all time talk. For good.