Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history, won her eighth national title on Sunday in San Jose, California, breaking a record set in 1933.
The four-time Olympic champion thrilled the crowd with a final performance on the field that earned her 15,400 points, a final score of 118,450 points.
With this eighth national title in floor gymnastics, she was able to break the record of Alfred Jochim, who had won seven times in 1933. At age 26, she also became the oldest gymnast to win the national team competition, ten years after the first title.
In case anyone was wondering: Simone Biles is STILL that girl. pic.twitter.com/6ibACvxLhk
– New Phone That Dis (@Swaggsocali) August 28, 2023
What a moment!@Simone_Biles X #XfinityChamps pic.twitter.com/qgfQIJkjlV
– NBC Olympic and Paralympic Games (@NBCOlympics) August 28, 2023
Shilese Jones, the United States’ runner-up in 2022, was second, trailing by 3.9 points.
The American star has been leading since the first night of competition on Friday when she performed a Yurchenko double carpé, a jump so difficult no other gymnast has performed it in competition.
Sunday’s win was his second in as many competitions since returning from a two-year break. The gymnast had withdrawn from most of the 2021 Olympic Games in Japan due to mental health and safety concerns.
Simone Biles does it again! She just won her record 8th US Championship and is considered the greatest of all time!
Congratulations @Simone_Biles!!#Black women#BlackGirlMagic #The goat #Gymnastics pic.twitter.com/3dGsEudUCS
– Unashamedly black and positive (@KimWrites4U) August 28, 2023
The gymnast explained that she had lost orientation in space, something that puts athletes at risk of injury when they land.
In San Jose, Biles was the only competitor to finish both days of competition with two scores above 15. Runner-up Shilese Jones scored one on Sunday, 15.0, on uneven bars.
This achievement is another step towards the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, starting with the World Championships in Antwerp on September 30.
However, Simone Biles has declined to disclose “personal goals” since her triumphant return on Aug. 5 at the US Classic.
“I like to keep them to myself (…) I think it’s better this way. This year I’m trying to move in a slightly different way than last year. I think it’s working so far,” he said.
When asked if Paris was among the targets, he replied that “it was not yet the right time”.
Source: DN
