Courtesy Simone Biles
Simone Biles secured her seventh Olympic gold medal by winning the women’s vault final at the Paris Games on Saturday.
At 27, Biles achieved an average score of 15.300 with her signature Yurchenko double pike and Cheng vaults, earning her second gold in the event, eight years after her victory in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who had previously finished second to Biles in the all-around final on Thursday, claimed the silver medal. American Jade Carey secured the bronze.
Biles becomes the second woman to win the vault event twice, joining Czechoslovakia's Vera Caslavska, who won back-to-back golds in 1964 and 1968. This victory brings Biles' total Olympic medal count to 10, tying her for the third most by a female gymnast. She also increased her tally of major international competition medals to 40, the highest for any gymnast.
Biles executed her Yurchenko double pike flawlessly, launching off the vault and completing two backward flips with her hands behind her knees. She landed with a noticeable bounce, her right foot just touching the out-of-bounds line, showcasing her incredible power and skill.
