RIO DE JANEIRO – Simone Biles and Aly Raisman weren’t paying attention to the Olympic rings on the floor. That the best gymnasts in the world were gathered to compete hardly seemed to matter.
For the American teammates, the Olympic all-around final turned into another day of the friends having fun in the gym.
By the end of it, they were the best in the world, Olympic gold and silver medalists sobbing in each other’s arms as the Brazilian crowd at Rio Olympic Arena rained down cheers on them.
“We had both won gold in that moment,” said Biles, “and to both be from the United States and get to represent, I don’t think there’s any better feeling.