PARIS — The U.S. women’s gymnastics team used to joke about a non-Simone Biles division, an acknowledgement that Biles is so much better than everyone else that no one could beat her.
The same still applies — and then some. Biles had the top score in Olympics qualifying, her 59.566 almost two points ahead of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who was runner-up to Biles at the 2023 world championships. This despite a flare-up of a calf injury that had Biles limping visibly between events. So as long as Biles is healthy and in a good place mentally, a second Olympic all-around title is hers Thursday night.
It would make her only the third woman, and first since 1968, to win gymnastics’ most prestigious prize twice. Biles also would be the oldest woman to win Olympic gold since 30-year-old Maria Gorokhovskaya in 1952.
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“The fact her gymnastics just keeping better the older she gets, it’s a testament to her drive of wanting to be the best,” said Alicia Sacramone Quinn, a silver medalist at the 2008 Olympics who is now the strategic lead for the women’s program.
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“I’m so impressed by her,” added Sacramone Quinn, whose 10 medals at the world championships and Olympics made her the most-decorated U.S. gymnast until Biles came along. “Every time she goes, I just joke, ‘Stop being so good at gymnastics! Let everybody else catch up.’ She’s like, ‘Yeah. OK.’”
Here’s a look at the best of the rest. Or should we say who are the contenders in the “non-Simone division”?
Rebeca Andrade, Brazil
Rebeca Andrade finished second to Biles after qualifying, albeit almost two points behind.
Andrade has been the best gymnast not named Simone Biles since the Tokyo Olympics. She won the all-around title at the 2022 world championships, when Biles was taking a break from gymnastics. She was the silver medalist in 2023 after Biles returned, and beat Biles for the world vault title.
She was second to Suni Lee at the Tokyo Olympics, and also won the vault title. She has nine medals overall at the world championships, winning five last year alone. That included a historic silver medal in the team competition, the best finish ever by Brazil’s men or women at either a worlds or Olympics.
Andrade was the first Brazilian woman to win a Olympic medal in gymnastics and an Olympic gold medal. Making her recent success all the more remarkable is that it’s come after three ACL tears.
Suni Lee, United States
Lee went to Auburn after Tokyo and competed for two years before a kidney ailment cut her final season short. Lee said she actually has two kidney issues — the second was discovered while the first was being treated — and they caused swelling so severe there were days she couldn’t even put her grips on. Her training was disrupted for almost a year, and she wasn’t sure if she’d even make it back to the Olympics.
But Lee returned to competition in February and has been making steady progress since, finishing second to Biles at the Olympic trials in July.
Kaylia Nemour, Algeria
Kaylia Nemour finished fifth after qualifying. Though Nemour is best known for her ridiculous difficulty on uneven bars, where she’s the reigning world silver medalist, she’s also very good in the all-around. She is the reigning African champion and was eighth at 2023 worlds.
Nemour was born in France but chose to compete for Algeria, where her father is from, after a dispute with the French federation. Bet officials there are regretting that right about now, given France missed the team final and got no one into any individual event finals.
Manila Esposito, Italy
Manila Esposito finished sixth after qualifying. Esposito is the reigning European champion, edging teammate Alice D’Amato at the meet earlier this spring. She also won golds on balance beam and floor exercise. Esposito was ninth at the 2023 world championships.
Alice D’Amato, Italy
Alice D’Amato finished seventh after qualifying. She was runner-up to teammate Manila Esposito at European championships earlier this spring, and fifth at the world championships in 2023.
Qiu Qiyuan, China
Qiu Qiyuan was eighth after qualifying. Qiu was fourth in the all-around at the 2023 world championships, her first at the senior level. She also won gold on uneven bars. Qiu was a three-time gold medalist at the 2023 Asian Games, winning in the team competition, all-around and uneven bars.
Jordan Chiles, United States
Chiles should be in the all-around final after finishing fourth in qualifying but won’t be because of the International Gymnastics Federation’s silly two-per-country rule. She should also be in the vault final but won’t be for the same reason.
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