Simone Biles Makes Olympic History with Gold Medal Win in Vault Final
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Simone Biles continued her winning streak on Saturday, taking home her third gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her victory in the vault final—which saw her perform her iconic namesake vault—tallied her total Olympic medal count to ten, seven of which are gold.
Her winning routine included the “Biles II,” a variation of the Yurchenko double pike. The complex move was named after Biles in 2023, when she became the first female gymnast to land it during international competition. It sees her sprint down the runway, cartwheel into a backward handspring on the vaulting table, and push off so high into the air she can complete two full flips as she holds out her flexed legs in a pike position.
The impressive performance earned Biles a score of 15.7. Her second vault earned a score of 14.9, making her average (and final) score 15.3—a third of a point more than her closest competitor, Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, who placed second with a score of 14.966. Meanwhile, Team USA teammate Jade Carey took home the bronze medal with a score of 14.466.
Biles’ win makes her the second woman in Olympic history to win the vault twice, having claimed gold at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio. The victory also marks a triumphant return for the gymnast, who withdrew mid-competition from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to a mental block.
This year, Biles has nabbed top qualifying scores and top podium placements. She won gold in the women's individual all-around, and she—along with teammates Sunisa “Suni” Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera—led Team USA to victory in the team final, clinching the gold medal with a score of 171.296. After the team’s win, Biles and Chiles celebrated in the Olympic village, twinning in white “Team USA” bathrobes.
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