By Anna Laible, WRAL Sports contributor

The “Golden Girls” are golden again!

Simone Biles became a six-time Olympic gold medalist Thursday. She passed Nadia Comaneci and earned her ninth Olympic medal of all time, tying Comaneci for the most all-time. She’s the first gymnast to win non-consecutive Olympic all-around golds. She became only the third gymnast to win two all-around Olympic titles and the first since Vera Caslavska in 1964 and 1968! She is the first Olympic all-around champion over the age of 20.

Tokyo all-around Olympic champion Sunisa Lee captured the bronze medal, and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won silver.

“Three years ago, I never thought I’d step foot on the gymnastics floor again just because of everything that had happened,” Biles said. “But with the help of Cecile and Laurent, I got back in the gym and worked really hard mentally and physically – just making sure I’m mentally well. I think you see that on the competition floor.”

Every eye was on Biles before the competition even began. The sellout crowd in Bercy Arena gave her a standing ovation when she was introduced.

For the first time in Olympic history, two all-around Olympic champions competed side-by-side in Biles and Lee. Coming into Paris, Team USA had won all-around gold for five straight Olympics, the longest streak for any country in this event’s Olympic history.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for either athlete on Thursday.

The top six all-around athletes from qualifying started on vault with Lee kicking off the competition. She posted a 13.933.

Up next, Rebeca Andrade, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver all-around medalist and Olympic vault champion from Brazil soared to a huge score of 15.1. However, none was bigger than Biles’ double pike. Her 15.766 caused the crowd to erupt.

Biles said she wasn’t originally even planning on competing her signature skill.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but I just knew how phenomenal of an athlete she is [Andrade],” Biles said. “On each event we’re very similar in scores so I was like, ‘Okay, I think I have to bring out the big guns this time.’”

Andrade kicked off the second rotation – parallel bars – with a solid routine, getting a huge ovation after her dismount from a strong Brazil crowd and garnering a 14.666. Biles followed her with a hiccup on her release move, posting a 13.733, significantly down from her 14.433 in qualifying. Lee rounded out the bars rotation with a spectacular routine and a score of 14.866.

Andrade led Biles by 0.267 after two rotations, and Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour sat in second, right ahead of Biles with Lee sitting in 5th. Andrade made Biles sweat more than she ever had.

“I don’t want to compete with Rebeca no more,” she laughed later. “I’m tired. She’s way too close. I’ve never had an athlete that close so it definitely put me on my toes, and it brought out the best athlete in myself.”

Pressure is a privilege, and Biles proved why when she led off the rotation on beam with a hit routine in front of a roaring crowd, putting up a 14.566. Lee had a few wobbles throughout her routine but earned a 14.000. Andrade had a bit of a balance check on her flight series but bounced back and finished the routine strong with a 14.133.

WATCH: Biles clinches all-around gold with stunning floor routine

Biles took a marginal lead of 0.166 into the floor exercise; Lee was tied for fourth. Alice D’Amato from Italy – who was in third place after the third rotation – stepped out of bounds early in her routine, giving her a 13.500. Nemour stayed on her feet, but had a few low landings on her troubling passes garnering a 13.1. After that was Lee, who nailed her floor routine with a 13.666 to give her a 56.465 total.

Andrade posted a 14.033, more than enough to clinch silver. To no one’s surprise, Biles stole the show with the final routine of the night with a 15.066.

“It’s crazy that I am in the conversation of greatest of all athletes because I just still think I’m Simone Biles from Spring, Texas, that loves to flip,” she said.

Each of the top three has a story of struggle and sacrifice to reach the podium. Andrade had three ACL tears in four years; Lee had kidney issues that she thought would end her career. But they all proved why they are the best in the world.

“It has taken a lot,” Lee said after winning her second all-around medal in consecutive Olympics. “I’m so grateful that I had my coaches, and having Simone here today definitely helped me a lot because we were both freaking out so it just felt nice to know that I wasn’t out there freaking out by myself.”

Biles has more than earned the G.O.A.T. title and sported a G.O.A.T. necklace after clinching the crown.

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Source: wralsportsfan.com