You will hear it said over the next day or week or maybe even a month, if the Olympic spirit lingers so long, that American gymnast Simone Biles is the greatest female athlete in the world. It’s a reasonable position to take, though a lot of people who’ll come to this conclusion know only a little about gymnastics and not a whole lot more about the competition.
It’s a debatable point, depending on what one values in an athlete. Here’s what’s not: Simone Biles is the most nearly perfect athlete on the planet, because the sport in which she competes will allow for nothing less.