Simone Biles Aims for Olympic Medals in Beam and Floor

PARIS (AP) — American gymnastics star Simone Biles is on the floor at Bercy Arena for the final day of competition.

Biles is in both the balance beam and floor exercise finals, where she will try to add to the three golds (team, all-around and vault) she's already won in Paris.

The 27-year-old will begin on beam, where she is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and a four-time world champion. Biles was second in qualifying behind China's Zhou Yaqin last week. She will go next-to-last in an eight-woman final that includes U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee and Brazilian standout Rebeca Andrade.

Biles will then move to the floor later Monday, an event where she's never lost a major international competition, including a gold in Rio do Janeiro eight years ago.

There is plenty of history on the line for Biles in what could be the last competition of her career. Biles has 10 medals in her Olympic career, including seven golds. Two more medals would move her past Czechoslovakia's Vera Caslavska for the second-most medals by a female gymnast in Olympic history, trailing only former Soviet Union great Larisa Latynina's 18.

Two golds would tie her for the second most gold medals in the Olympics — Summer or Winter — in any sport.

She would join Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi, Latynina, American swimmer Mark Spitz, American sprinter Carl Lewis and American swimmer Katie Ledecky. U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps leads the way with 23 golds.

Biles has stayed relatively quiet on what lies ahead for her beyond the Paris Games, though she did nudge the door open a little for a possible return when the Olympics shift to Los Angeles.

“Never say never,” Biles said after claiming her second Olympic vault title on Saturday. “Next Olympics are at home. So you just never know. I am getting really old.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games