CNN
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The woman most people consider the greatest gymnast of all time continues to add to her amazing legacy.
Simon Biles She won her eighth national title in the all-around with a strong performance Sunday at the USA Gymnastics Championships in San Jose, California.
The 26-year-old Biles also became the oldest woman to win the championships ever when she finished 3.9 points clear of Shelley Jones, the all-around silver medalist at the 2022 US and World Championships.
Title VIII bile She broke the record she shared with Alfred Jochim, who won his seventh gold medal in the all-around 90 years earlier in 1933.
“I think it’s really special,” she told NBC, which is broadcasting the tournament. “I’ve been doing it for a long time, I feel like I’m not thinking about numbers, I’m thinking about my performance. And I think, overall, I got eight for eight (routines). … I think it’s a lucky number this year.
Even after a long absence from major competition, Biles has shown confidence in her performance Four-time Olympic gold medalist Dominate the field on Friday and Sunday. She closed out the all-around crown with 15,400 on her amazing floor exercise.
And when she left the stadium to a standing ovation from the audience, her teammates and coaches were waiting to embrace her.
When her teammate Jordan Chiles took the floor to perform her routine, Chiles waved her arms around the crowd to continue giving Biles the applause she deserved.
“It’s really amazing. Everyone here believes in me,” she said, referring to her teammates, coaches, family and fans. “So I just need to start believing in myself a little bit more, but it’s amazing and I love the fans, I love the fans. It was really special.
Biles has not revealed if she will compete in the Olympics next year.
“I like to keep (my goals) personal so I know what I’m aiming for,” she told NBC. “I’m trying to move a little bit differently this year than I have in the past. So I think it’s been working so far, so I’ll keep it a bit secret.
Biles is continuing her return to competitive gymnastics after a two-year hiatus after the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, when she withdrew from several events suffering from what are known as “contortions” – a mental block that causes a gymnast to lose her position in midair.
throughout the competition period, Biles completed elements of her routine so effortlessly and with such force that no other gymnast could compete.
I started Sunday with a strong 14.85 on jump. Later, she was seen tying her ankles in between the events.
She scored 14.050 points on the uneven bars, but Biles scored 14.85 points on the balance beam to extend her lead and clinch the title on the floor competition, winning one Olympic title and five world titles.
Biles returned to action earlier this month, winning the Core Hydration Classic in triumph.
Biles is the most decorated gymnast in US history, winning 32 medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
With this victory, Biles secured a place in the World Championships, which are scheduled to start on September 30 in Antwerp, Belgium.
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