The second installment of Netflix Simone Biles: Rising captures the gymnast’s emotional journey as she fights to reclaim her place at the top of the gymnastics world. Showing the world tuning in to witness Simone Biles’ remarkable journey at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the excitement is palpable. After a mental health hiatus following the Tokyo Olympics, Biles’ return was nothing short of triumphant. From the intense trials that led to her selection on the U.S. Olympic team to her dazzling performances in Paris, Biles continues to redefine sport and inspire a new generation of athletes.
In this compelling continuation of her story, viewers are not only treated to the spectacle of athleticism that Biles is known for, but also witness the weight of her legacy. While she competes against a backdrop of personal challenges, the stakes have never been higher. With every twist, Biles continues to break records, pushing the limits of what is possible in gymnastics. This iconic athlete’s extraordinary achievements, including all the records she broke at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, are a testament to her indomitable spirit in the face of adversity.
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Climbing to second place in the women’s gold medal rankings
Biles has seven Olympic gold medals in total
Biles moved up to second place overall among female Olympic gymnastics gold medalists. Before the 2024 Olympics, she was tied for seventh place with three other gymnasts who each had four gold medals. After securing three more gold medals in Paris – in the team all-around, individual all-around and vault events – Biles now ties Věra Čáslavská with a total of seven Olympic gold medals.
Biles’ individual all-around victory contributed to the United States surpassing the former Soviet Union in gold medals in this event. The United States currently holds the record with seven gold medals in women’s individual artistic gymnastics, while the Soviet Union has six, although it still leads in total medals with 18 in the event.
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Total medals won in women’s gymnastics events
Biles won 11 Olympic medals overall
Biles became the first American gymnast to win three Olympic medals in the team gymnastics event, with gold in Rio and Paris and silver in Tokyo. This achievement also ties her with Polina Astakhova, Larysa Latynina and Ludmilla Tourischeva for the most medals won by an individual gymnast in the all-around team event. With a total of 11 Olympic medals, Biles is now in second place with the most medals ever won in women’s gymnastics, tied again with Čáslavská. Additionally, Biles has an impressive 30 World Championship medals, further establishing her as one of the sport’s most decorated athletes.
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Most awarded American gymnast at the Olympics
Biles is the most decorated American Olympic gymnast of all time
Biles holds the record as the most awarded American gymnast at the Olympics, with a total of 11 medals. This surpasses Shannon Miller’s previous record of seven medals, solidifying Biles as the leading American gymnast in Olympic achievement. Biles’ 11 medals consist of seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals, won at three Olympic Games: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. This total includes medals in individual and team events, further establishing her as the most successful American gymnast in Olympic history.
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Joining the elite group of 29 athletes
Biles is now part of a prestigious group of Olympians
Biles also joined an exclusive group of 29 athletes who have won more than 10 medals at either the Summer or Winter Olympics. With her 11 Olympic medals, she became part of a select club that includes athletes from different sports and nations. Biles is now also ranked among the six American women with the most Olympic medals, joining swimmers Katie Ledecky, Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin, along with track and field star Allyson Felix. Her achievement places her in a distinct league of highly decorated American Olympians.
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Biggest difference between gold medals in individual all-around events
Biles’ hiatus also broke records
Biles set a new record for the largest gold medal gap in the Individual All-Around event at the Olympics. While previous record holders Latynina and Čáslavská won back-to-back golds just four years apart, Biles returned to win her second gold eight years after her first victory in Rio, unprecedented at the Olympic Games. This achievement also gives Biles the record regardless of gender. No male gymnast has ever regained gold in the Individual All-Around event after an eight-year gap, with male winners traditionally only securing consecutive victories.
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Two-time gold medalist in the all-around
Biles is a rare two-time winner for the overall individual
Biles became one of only three gymnasts to win two Olympic gold medals in the individual all-around event. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she joined Latynina (1956, 1960) and Čáslavská (1964, 1968) in this rare achievement. In Paris, Biles scored 59,131 points, surpassing Brazilian Rebeca Andrade, who won silver, while her North American teammate, Suni Lee, took bronze. The victory marked Biles’ return to the top of the gymnastics world, eight years after her first Olympic all-around title in Rio.
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First American athlete to win two gold medals in individual all-around
Biles is also a first for USA Gymnastics singles
Simone Biles became the first American athlete, male or female, to win two gold medals in the Individual All-Around event. At Paris 2024, she won three individual medals, including two gold, and helped secure overall team gold for the USA, increasing her career Olympic total to seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Biles’ name is also associated with five unique gymnastics moves. Paris 2024 marked her second medal in team, all-around, vault and floor events, mirroring her achievements at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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US dominance in versatile individual events
Team USA has already surpassed all other countries in women’s gymnastics
Biles’ victory in the Individual All-Around event at Paris 2024 guaranteed the United States the sole record holder for the most gold medals in the women’s individual gymnastics individual event, surpassing the former Soviet Union. The USA now has seven gold medals in this category, while the Soviet Union holds six, although it still leads in total medals with 18.
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team further demonstrated its dominance by winning gold in the team final and winning seven total medals in individual events. This success has contributed to Team USA’s overall Olympic medal count, which as of Saturday included 121 medals, leading China’s 89, with the U.S. women winning 24 gold medals.
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Tying for most gold medals in women’s diving
Biles also shone in another important competition
Biles also tied Čáslavská for the record for most gold medals in women’s diving at the Olympics, with two gold medals each. Čáslavská won gold in 1964 and 1968, while Biles won in 2016 and again in 2024. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles withdrew from vault and other events due to mental health concerns. His return to diving at Paris 2024 earned him a second gold in the event, equaling Čáslavská’s long-standing record.
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Event with the longest gap between gold medals in the Vault
Biles set multiple records at Paris 2024
Biles now holds the record for the largest gap between two Olympic gold medals on vault, with eight years separating her victories in 2016 and 2024. This achievement marks the largest gap for gold medals on vault by any gymnast, male or female. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles won her third gold medal of the Games in the vault final, following her team and all-around event victories. Her powerful Yurchenko double spear and exceptional Cheng secured her victory, while Brazilian Rebeca Andrade won silver and Biles’ teammate Jade Carey bronze.
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First American to win two Olympic gold medals in diving
Biles broke several Vault records in Paris
Biles also became the first American athlete, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals in the vault event. Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won her unprecedented ninth consecutive all-around title at the U.S. national championships, showing her dominance by winning all four individual events: balance beam, vault, floor exercise and uneven bars.
Then, at the Paris Games, Biles contributed to Team USA’s gold medal in the team event and recaptured the individual all-around gold medal. In the vault final, when he performed Yurchenko’s double pike, he won his third gold at the Games. Despite finishing fifth on the balance beam after a fall, she showed resilience and skill, winning silver on the floor exercise, an event considered her signature routine.
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Tying for most medals in the all-around team event
Biles also broke records with her team
Biles tied the record for most medals won in the team all-around artistic gymnastics event at the Olympics, achieving this milestone by winning gold in Rio (2016), silver in Tokyo (2020) and gold again in Paris (2024). This achievement again links her to Astakhova, Latynina and Tourischeva, each of whom also won three medals in this event. At the Paris Games, Biles scored 59.131, just over a point ahead of Brazilian Andrade, who scored 57.932. Bile; the victory marks her sixth Olympic gold medal, the most ever won by an American gymnast, and she is the first woman to win multiple Olympic golds since Čáslavská in 1964 and 1968.
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First American to win three medals in team events
Biles has won more medals than any American gymnast in team events
Biles became the first American gymnast to win three medals in team events at the Olympics. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won gold in the team, women’s individual all-around and vault finals, as well as a silver medal in the women’s solo event. As this achievement brought her total Olympic medal count to 11, it made her the most decorated American gymnast in history.
Biles’ return to the Olympic stage followed her withdrawal from several events during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics due to mental health challenges, as she discussed widely with the gymnastics community, advocating for better practices. The second part Simone Biles: Rising traces her journey back to the top, capturing her preparation and success at the 2024 trials and her record-breaking performances in Paris.