Beaming Biles bags Olympic gymnastics triple, as women’s 100m looms
PARIS, France (AFP)— US gymnastics legend Simone Biles produced two stunning vaults to soar to her third gold medal of the Paris Olympics Saturday, as anticipation reached fever pitch ahead of the women’s 100m final.
Biles wowed the crowd with her two vaults, another step on her road to Olympic redemption after the debilitating “twisties” famously derailed her Tokyo campaign in 2021.
A gravity-defying Yurchenko double pike handed the US superstar her third gold in Paris and seventh in her glittering career as she beamed to an ecstatic crowd.
More history was made at the gymnastics as Carlos Yulo from the Philippines snatched his country’s second-ever gold, triumphing in the men’s floor exercise.
From one redemption campaign to another, all eyes at the Stade de France were on flamboyant sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, favourite to take the blue riband event.
Richardson is competing in Paris three years after a positive test for marijuana following her victory at the US trials wrecked her Olympic dreams in Tokyo.
The 24-year-old Texan, aiming to become the first American since Gail Devers in 1996 to win Olympic 100m gold, sailed through Friday’s heat in 10.94sec.
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred is Richardson’s main rival but the fastest time in the heats belonged to Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, who won her heat in 10.87sec ahead of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a two-time 100m gold medallist.
In the men’s competition, US sprint king Noah Lyles launched his campaign for 100m glory, recovering from a slow start to come through his heat.
The 27-year-old was one of the last out of the blocks in his heat but powered through the field, finishing second to Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe in a time of 10.04sec.
Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson looked in ominous form, running 10 flat but easing down significantly in the final stages.
Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, who won a surprise gold in Tokyo, also laboured through his heat and just scraped through in a time of 10.05 sec.
The second full day of athletics in Paris also includes the women’s triple jump, the men’s shot put and the conclusion of the men’s decathlon.
