Simone Biles is on her way to winning more gold medals than any other gymnast from the United States. The four-foot-eight dynamo captured the individual all-around gold medal Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Biles was the overwhelming favorite to take home gold going into the Games. She has not lost a competition in three years and is the most decorated female gymnast in history.
After the 2nd rotation on uneven bars, Biles was in an unfamiliar position: second place behind Russia's Aliya Mustafina.
Biles easily cruised back into first on the third apparatus, balance beam, with a score of 15.433. That put her more than 1.5 points ahead of Mustafina going into the floor exercise.
Biles scored 15.933 on the floor exercise. Her teammate, Aly Raisman, won the silver medal after an impressive floor routine.
Biles is the second Black gymnast from the United States to win the all-around gold. Team USA has taken home the last four individual all-around medals. Gabby Douglas won at the 2012 London Games. Douglas scored third in the all-around qualifications, but an International Olympic Committee rule limits the number of gymnasts each country can send to the finals. Biles and teammate Aly Raisman advanced.
Biles is inarguably the greatest gymnast alive. 2008 all-around champion Nastia Liuikin has called Biles "by far the best gymnast who has ever lived."
The Texas-native has three more opportunities to medal at the apparatus finals next week.
Photos: Alex Livesey/Getty Images