The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Bile: atop the Olympic podium. Again. The Canadian team finished in fifth place.
The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team.
In the finals inside a raucous Berczy Arena on Tuesday night.
With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil. And the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy.
As the greatest ever in her sport, and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
The outcome — the Americans on top with the rest of the world looking up — was not in doubt from the moment.
Simone bile:
Jordan Chiles began the night by drilling her double-twisting Yurchenko vault.
A floor exercise set to music by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé — her fifth Olympic gold medal was well in hand.
And over two hours in front of a crowd that included everyone from tennis great Serena Williams and actor Natalie Portman to Biles’ husband.
Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles left little doubt about anything.
Simone bile returned to the event as a seasoned veteran in her fourth appearance.
On Tuesday, the 28-year-old from Halifax led the Canadian team at the Paris Games. To an identical result to the one it reached in London 2012.
With a fifth-place finish that remains the highest the country has achieved in the event.
Twelve years was a long time to wait to get back into that team final,” Black said, “but I was really proud of the team to be able to do that.
The team is my favorite so to go out there and have another opportunity with these girls on the competition floor was super awesome.
Black said her feeling going into the team event 12 years ago was a little different than in London.
When the team made the final for the first time in Canadian history. That feeling of newness may be gone, but she said the happiness and gratitude to be there are the same.
