After her teammates Aly Raisman and Laurie Hernandez performed exceptionally on the floor, American gymnast Simone Biles only needed better than 7.591 for her routine to secure the Olympic gold medal for the U.S. on Tuesday.
It wasn’t even close.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the 4’8” giant, @Simone_Biles. https://t.co/8UlQsUiW6F https://t.co/hPrWj8g10W
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2016
In the end, Biles, the three-time world champion, scored a 15.8. The team won the gold by more than eight points ahead of Russia, which nabbed second place. China took bronze.
Four years ago #USA won by 5.066 points, the biggest margin in 52 years. This time they won by 8.209.
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) August 9, 2016
When the results were announced, the U.S. team, including Olympic veteran Gabby Douglas and newcomers Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian, turned to the cameras and announced their team nickname: the Final Five.
The name honored Martha Karolyi, who’s retiring after being the national team coordinator for 15 years, and was a nod to the fact that the number of members in a team will reduce to four at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 'Final Five' finally reveal their name and the reason they chose it.https://t.co/8UlQsUiW6F https://t.co/eaxrrhREO4
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2016
Karolyi said she cried upon hearing the team’s chosen name.
“From my nature, I’m really not a sentimental person, honestly,” she told NBC. “I’m known for being really tough, so I felt like, what’s happening to me, really?”
Michael Phelps reacts after winning the gold medal. Photo by Stefan Wermuth/Reuters
Poolside, American swimmer Michael Phelps won another two gold medals — his 20th and 21st — in the 200-meter butterfly and 4X200 freestyle relay. To date, Phelps now has 25 Olympic medals to his name, including two silver and two bronze.
A familiar feeling for Michael Phelps. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/sOscyIbdgH
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2016
Phelps’ cap ripped moments before he dove into the pool for the 4X200 freestyle relay. He borrowed fellow swimmer Conor Dwyer’s cap.
When @MichaelPhelps rips a cap, you get him one ASAP!
Shout-out Conor Dwyer on the assisthttps://t.co/BWGaUNiTHM https://t.co/SBHR3wwAwW
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2016
OTHER NOTEWORTHY MOMENTS
Serena Williams played — and lost to — Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters
Tennis great Serena Williams lost to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, ending her Olympic bid this year. “In the last moments of the match, Williams, the defending gold medalist, was emotional, shaking her head and yelling at herself,” The New York Times reported.
Other swimming highlights include American Katie Ledecky winning a second gold medal in Rio in the 200-meter freestyle and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu nabbing her third in the 200-meter individual medley.
Observe @KatieLedecky in her natural habitat.
She won just gold, this one in the 200m Free https://t.co/BWGaUNiTHM https://t.co/AWoJoXOsUC
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2016
More notes:
- A preliminary analysis showed that a bus carrying journalists at the Rio Games was hit by stones, not bullets, Rio Olympic organizers said Wednesday. Two windows were broken and no one was seriously injured in Tuesday’s incident, the Associated Press reported.
- “Yes, the world is moved by Team Refugees. Yet, it is unmoved by refugees,” Roger Cohen of the New York Times wrote.
- For now, fears over the Zika virus in Rio have cooled slightly, Reuters reported.
