Excerpt from The Ringer
Written by Katie Baker
In the end, it all went down exactly as it should have: The greatest gymnast in the world was crowned as such. You would think that Simone Biles knew this would happen — not out of cockiness, just out of simple math. But Biles is someone who, after earning an automatic Olympic berth by finishing first at trials in July, refused to celebrate until she’d heard her name called. She’s someone who has spoken repeatedly of the dangers of taking things for granted or being too confident. And, earlier in Thursday’s all-around final, she even found herself in the unfamiliar position of not being comfortably on top.
RELATED: American Lilly King Outduels New Nemesis Yulia Efimova to Win 100 Breaststroke
Halfway through one of the crown jewel events of the Summer Olympic Games, Biles, the three-time world champion, sat in second place to Russia’s Aliya Mustafina.
Featured Image: Simone Biles of the United States shows of her Gold medal after the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Team Final on Day 4 on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)