Simone Biles is already widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time, and she can ascend to even more rarified air with another Olympic gold medal in the individual all-around on Thursday.
Only twice before Larisa Latynina in 1956 and 1960, and Věra Čáslavská in 1964 and 1968 has a woman won this event multiple times, and Biles can add to her record gold medal collection by topping the podium in Paris.
And so can fellow Team USA star Suni Lee.
Perhaps lost in the shuffle of Biles returning in top form after the twisties forced her out of the individual all-around at the Tokyo Games in 2021 is that Lee is the defending Olympic champion, and could etch her name among the greatest in the sport’s history with another gold medal.
Biles finished comfortably in first place in qualifying, 1.866 points clear of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade who won silver in the all-around in Tokyo. Lee qualified with the third-best score.
Date: Wednesday, August 1
Time: 12:15 p.m. ET
Location: Bercy Arena | Paris, France
TV channels: NBC
Streaming: Fubo, Peacock
Stay with Yahoo Sports for complete coverage and live updates on the women’s individual all-around final at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
The rotations and event order are out for the Individual all-around final, which starts at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Biles and Lee will rotate to each of the four apparatuses together and will go in this order today:
Vault
Uneven Bars
Balance Beam
Floor Exercise
One of these two women could make history as just the third woman to win gold twice in the individual all-around, and it’ll all unfold in Paris in just under an hour.
Simone Biles and Suni Lee are ready to go for the women’s all-around individual final. #ParisOlympics 12P ET on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/Yoxk9B8C0q
NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 1, 2024
The top 24 finishers in qualifying with a maximum of two entries per NOC qualified for the final, meaning that even with her fourth place finish, Team USA’s Jordan Chiles didn’t make the final. Here’s how the top five qualifiers finished. Check out the full qualifying results here.
Simone Biles USA: Vault 15.800 | Bars 14.433 | Beam 14.733 | Floor 14.600 | Total 59.5662
Rebeca Andrade Brazil: Vault 14.900 | Bars 14.400 | Beam 14.500 |Floor 13.900 | Total 57.700
Suni Lee USA: Vault 14.133 | Bars 14.866 | Beam 14.033 | Floor 13.100 | Total 56.132
Kaylia Nemour Algeria: Vault 14.000 | Bars 15.600 | Beam 13.200 | Floor 13.166 | Total 55.966
Manila Esposito Italy: Vault 14.133 | Bars 14.166 | Beam. 13.966 | Floor 13.633 | Total 55.898
Showtime!!! 2024 Women’s Olympic All-Around Finals loading!!! Who will win Olympic gold, silver and bronze tonight in Bercy Arena? We’re about to find out! Ricardo Bufolin for Inside Gymnastics magazine#ParisOlympics #Paris2024 #ParisOlympics2024 pic.twitter.com/OP334Zv9b2
Inside Gymnastics (@InsideGym) August 1, 2024
Paul Juda and Frederick Richard have a message for Simone Biles and Suni Lee. 12P ET on NBC and Peacockpic.twitter.com/28O3cT0ZJR
NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 1, 2024
After a win over South Sudan in the second game of pool play, the U.S. men’s basketball team and a former member of the team are ready to cheer Biles on as she goes for a second individual all-around gold medal.
USA men’s basketball is ready to see Simone Biles in the women’s individual all-around final. #ParisOlympics 12P ET on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/ONEOk9doiW
NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 1, 2024
For the first time in Olympic history, two previous gold medalists are vying for a second at the same Summer Games in the women’s gymnastics individual all-around.
Gearing up for a historic women’s all-around final. Watch Simone Biles and Suni Lee at 12P ET on NBC and Peacock. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/eTFCWmbK4V
NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 1, 2024
Simone Biles revealed that officially at least the nickname for the gold medal winning United States womens gymnastics team is the Golden Girls, a nod to the oldest team in American history, including the 27-year-old Biles.
Its the unofficial team name she first revealed that seems a lot more reflective of the mood and attitude of, if not the group, then at least Biles herself.
F Around and Find Out.
This is a Simone like we havent seen at the Olympics.
At the 2016 Rio Games she was a first timer, uber talented and seemingly without a worry in the world, just enjoying the ride to the top of the podium. At the 2021 Tokyo Games she was mostly unable to compete and uncertain in every way, suffering from isolation, critics and the twisties.
Now she is back and better than ever on the mat, older and more mature in life and seemingly ready to settle all scores in all ways.