Olympic golden girl Simone Biles is chosen to carry the American flag at closing ceremony in Rio

'This experience has been the dream of a lifetime': Olympic golden girl Simone Biles is chosen to carry the American flag at closing ceremony in Rio - making her the second gymnast in US history to have the honor

• Simone Biles has secured her place in history as arguably the greatest gymnast ever  
• She was chosen by Team USA teammates to carry the US flag at the closing ceremony in Rio
• The 19-year-old said her 'experience has been the dream of a lifetime' as she thanked her teammates  
• Biles is only the second gymnast named flag bearer for US, after Alfred Jochim in 1936 opening ceremony
• Her five medals tie the most for an American female gymnast in a single Olympics 
• Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women's all-around, vault and floor exercise
• She added a fifth medal when she won bronze on the balance beam 
• Her historic performances propelled the US women’s gymnastics team to a total of nine medals in Rio
• That total surpasses the team’s previous high of eight from the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008

By VALERIE EDWARDS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 18:24, 20 August 2016 | UPDATED: 20:17, 20 August 2016

Simone Biles has not only carved a spot for herself in Olympic history, she has been bestowed the honor of carrying the US flag at the closing ceremony on Sunday, making her the second gymnast is US history to do so.

The US Olympic Committee said on Saturday that the 19-year-old gymnastics powerhouse was chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA members. 

'It's an incredible honor to be selected as the flag bearer by my Team USA teammates,' Biles told TeamUSA.org.

'This experience has been the dream of a lifetime for me and my team and I consider it a privilege to represent my country, the United States Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics by carrying our flag. 

Simone Biles has not only carved a spot for herself in Olympics history, she has been bestowed the honor of carrying the US flag at the closing ceremony on Sunday, making her the second gymnast is US history to do so

The US Olympic Committee said on Saturday that the 19-year-old gymnastics powerhouse was chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA members. Biles said that 'it's an incredible honor to be selected as the flag bearer'

Biles will be the second gymnast to be named flag bearer for the US, just after Alfred Jochim in the 1936 opening ceremony 

'I also wish to thank the city of Rio de Janeiro, and the entire country of Brazil, for hosting an incredible Games.' 

Biles will be the second gymnast to be named flag bearer for the US, just after Alfred Jochim in the 1936 opening ceremony.

Her five medals tie the most for an American female gymnast in a single Olympics and her four golds tie an Olympic record shared by just four others. 

Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women's all-around, vault and floor exercise, while adding a fifth medal - bronze - on the balance beam.

In the floor exercise, in which she secured her fourth gold medal, Biles scored an incredibly high 15.966.  

Biles led the Americans to a second consecutive team gold medal by an incredible eight points before winning the all-around title.

Biles performed a tumbling pass named in her honor during the floor exercise, since she is the only female gymnast to attempt it in competition. Above, Biles performs during the floor exercise 

One of Biles' strengths is that she performs routines with a very high level of difficulty. So even if she doesn't have a clean landing, she can still beat the rest of the field by a wide margin 

Her five medals tie the most for an American female gymnast in a single Olympics and her four golds tie an Olympic record shared by just four others

Her historic performances propelled the US women’s gymnastics team to a total of nine medals in Rio, surpassing the team’s previous high of eight from the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, according to TeamUSA.org.

The nine medals are the most won by any women’s team since the Soviet Union claimed 10 medals at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. 

Her success in Rio cemented claims that she's the best gymnast of her generation and probably the best ever.

She entered the Games as the three-time defending world all-around champion. 

And her 10 gold medals earned over that span is a record for any gymnast, and she has 14 medals from world championship competitions.

After the Games end on Sunday, Biles and the Final Five will head to New York for a media tour and then embark on a 36-city Kellogg's Tour, according to KHOU 11.  

'It's been a long journey,' Biles said. 'I've enjoyed every single moment of it. I know our team has. It's been very long in competing so many times. It got tiring. But we just wanted to end on a good note.'

Just over two weeks ago, Michael Phelps carried the American flag into the Opening Ceremony, leading Team USA into the Parade of Nations. 

Biles won team and individual gold medals in the women's all-around, vault and floor exercise, while adding a fifth medal - bronze - on the balance beam. She secured her fourth gold medal (pictured) in the floor exercise with an incredibly high score of 15.966. Pictured her teammate Aly Raisman (left) won silver and Great Britain's Amy Tinkler (right) won bronze

Biles became the second African-American woman to do win the individual all-around competition at this year's Olympics, behind teammate Gabby Douglas

Her historic performances propelled the US women’s gymnastics team to a total of nine medals in Rio, surpassing the team’s previous high of eight from the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008

The nine medals are the most won by any women’s team since the Soviet Union claimed 10 medals at the 1972 Olympics in Munich

The teen is set to make millions over the next four years as she prepares to better her four golds and a bronze, won at her first Olympics. 

But she said she was also looking forward to trying to live a normal life, and she would happily enjoy the red carpets that inevitably will be rolled out for her.

Biles said: ‘It has been a phenomenal experience. Our whole team did a very good job and I think the people back home in the US could be proud of us.

‘It is pretty insane (four golds and a bronze) what I have accomplished at my first Olympics. It is definitely very rewarding and I am proud of myself.'

‘I hope people remember our passion and our drive towards this sport and our good sportsmanship to each other and we had fun…and that is why we are so successful,' Biles said.

When asked by Daily Mail Online whether she was prepared for the fame heaped on her young shoulders, she said: ‘I am sure I will have some help. Gabby (Douglas) and Aly Raisman have been through it and they guide us just like they have this whole journey.

‘It is kind of scary with the public eye being on me at all times, but its rewarding as well. I think we will get used to it.’  

Her success in Rio cemented claims that she's the best gymnast of her generation and probably the best ever. Biles blows kisses to her fans in the audience during the floor exercise competition

The teen is set to make millions over the next four years as she prepares to better her four golds and a bronze, won at her first Olympics 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3750603/Simone-Biles-chosen-carry-American-flag-closing-ceremony-Rio.html#ixzz4Hu7Vs0Zr
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Americans blow away opposition to win women's gymnastics team gold as Great Britain finish fifth

• The United States cruised to the women's team title at the Olympics 
• Simone Biles and her American team-mates won by a massive 8.209 points
• Russia came second, China third, Japan fourth and Great Britain fifth
• Ellie Downie's fall on the beam Claudia Fragapane's error saw GB miss out

By MARTHA KELNER FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED: 22:53, 9 August 2016 | UPDATED: 23:33, 9 August 2016

The Sass Squad, as the five women who make up Great Britain’s gymnastics team call themselves, were temporarily stripped of their usual boundless energy and ready smiles as they failed to win a medal in the team event.

The women had surprised by winning a bronze at the World Championships in Glasgow last year and it was hoped they could sneak onto the podium here. 

But a fall for Ellie Downie on the balance beam and an error from Claudia Fragapane during her floor routine meant they missed out on a team medal as their male counterparts had the previous day. 

Left to right: Alexandra Raisman, Madison Kocian, Lauren Hernandez, Simone Biles and Gabrielle Douglas of the USA pose with their gold medals

The Great Britain women's team look on as thet failed to win a medal in the team event

FINAL SCORES 

USA - 184.897

RUS - 176.688

CHN - 176.003

JPN - 174.371

GBR - 174.362

GER - 173.672

NED - 172.447

BRA - 172.087

For the senior members of the team this competition could bring down the curtain on their international career.

 They had hoped to bow out with a tangible reminder of the day but an overall score of 174.362, although slightly better than they had managed in qualification, was only good enough for fifth. 

The USA team, perhaps the most dominant of any at this Olympics, were predictably untouchable, winning with 184.897 points ahead of Russia and China.

At 24, Becky Downie will recognise the next Olympics is a long four years away while Ruby Harrold is making a brief pit stop in the UK before flying to America to start a four-year degree course at Louisiana State University on a gymnastics scholarship. 

For 16-year-old Amy Tinkler, the younger Downie and Fragapane, 17 and 18 respectively, Tokyo 2016 beckons. But this was a good lesson on the improvements required if they are to compete with the powerhouses of the sport as a team.

Ruby Harrold opened proceedings on the uneven bars, improving on her qualification score

Harrold opened proceedings on the uneven bars scoring 14.833, slightly up on her qualification score while Ellie Downie did little wrong to score 14.633. 

Older sister Becky, a European Champion on bars, had been heartbroken to miss out on a place in the individual final in her specialist event but it seemed to drive her as she improved her score, landing as if her feet were superglued to the mat.

Ellie Downie had been the hero of the qualification event. She suffered a brutal looking fall during her floor routine, slamming her head directly into the mat after a botched landing. 

Led from the arena by medics, she refused a wheelchair and insisted on returning five minutes later to help the team qualify by doing two vaults. But there was no rescue this time as she lost her footing while doing a pirouette on the balance beam, slipping onto the mat. 

It was a contrasting night for the Downie family as Elissa fell from the beam to her dismay

Fragapane stumbles out of bounds on the floor and is penalised by the judges

Devastated, she composed herself to remount and cheered on her older sister Becky and close friend Claudia Fragapane as both bettered their score from qualification. 

But from third place after the first rotation, the team had been relegated to fifth and were relying on big errors from the Russian and Chinese teams.

Downie was given a meagre score for what seemed an impressive floor routine but Fragapane was rightly penalised for stepping out of bounds. Tinkler, who has impressed with her maturity, produced another good floor routine, which bodes well for the individual final later this week.

On the vault, Tinkler nailed her Yuchenko to score 14.933 while Ellie Downie bounced back with her best vault of the week, scoring 15.133. Fragapane scored 14.700.

Tinkler impressed again, producing yet another strong floor routine at the Olympic Arena

Rebecca Downie was grace personified during the women's team final on Tuesday

But it was one of the smallest adults inside Rio’s Olympic Arena that held it captivated all night. 

At 4ft8in Simone Biles transcends her sport to the extent that her performances in Rio have so far prompted congratulatory Tweets from presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to Kim Kardashian and Zac Efron.

Medically classified as a dwarf, the height she registers in her floor routine is truly jaw dropping. Grown men and young girls alike were awed as she bounced off the ground as if powered by a jet pack to seal the USA’s victory with the final act of the evening. 

Simone Biles got her bid for a record five gold medals at the Rio Olympics off to a flying start

The ten-time world champion looks set to be one of the stars of the Olympic Games

On the vault too, she was exceptional and attacked the balance beam, only as wide as the average smart phone, as if it were 10ft thick. The crowd was full of stars and stripes, any event featuring Biles is automatically one of the hottest tickets of the Games and they cheered her fulsomely.

At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal Nadia Comaneci made her name by winning three gold medals and scoring the first ever perfect ten. Rio 2016 could make Biles, who is favourite to win another four titles here, a worldwide superstar.

The only problem for this American team is each other. Only two from each country are able to compete in the individual all-around event but they are so good that if its four best gymnasts – Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and Lauren Hernandez – were all allowed to compete they would probably round out the top four overall. 

Left to right: Great Britain's Amy Tinkler, Becky Downie, Claudia Fragapane, Ruby Harrold and Ellie Downie put on a brave face after the final

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-3732250/Americans-blow-away-opposition-win-gold-women-s-team-event-Great-Britain-finish-fifth.html#ixzz4GsUV2q8r
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Relive the best moments of London Olympics 2012

IOC LATEST NEWS

Relive the best moments of London 2012

18/12/2012

With 2012 drawing to a close, Olympic.org decided to look back on a truly memorable year by asking Olympic fans on Facebook what their favourite moments were from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

After receiving more than 40,000 votes, the poll has revealed the 10 most popular sporting moments from the Games, including the record-breaking performances of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.

Here is the top 10 in full, but if your favourite moment isn’t among them, you can still relive all the highlights from the Games in our London 2012 video gallery.

1.    Usain Bolt wins the 100m

Following his record-breaking exploits at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Usain Bolt was under pressure to deliver on the track again in London – and the Jamaican spring sprint king did not disappoint as he cruised to an Olympic record of 9.63 seconds in the 100m in front of a raucous Olympic Stadium, before successfully defending his 200m title as well.

 

2.     Michael Phelps becomes the most decorated Olympian ever

American swimmer Michael Phelps secured his place in Olympic folklore as he won six medals in London – including four golds – to take his total Olympic medal tally to 22, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time.

3.     Mo Farah wins his second gold of the Games

Roared on by an enthusiastic home crowd in the Olympic Stadium, British long distance runner Mo Farah followed up his victory in the 10,000m with another Olympic title in the 5,000m.

4.     Katie Taylor wins lightweight boxing gold

With women’s boxing making its Olympic debut in London, all eyes were on four-time world champion Katie Taylor, of Ireland, to see if she could add Olympic gold to her growing list of achievements. Backed by thousands of Irish fans – whose cheers in the ExCeL Arena reached an incredible 113.7 decibels – Taylor defeated Russia's Sofya Ochigava in the final bout to become the first ever women’s Olympic lightweight champion. 

5.     Tom Daley claims diving bronze

British diver Tom Daley was undoubtedly one of the social media stars of the Games, becoming the fifth most talked about athlete on Facebook and gaining more than 800,000 new followers on Twitter. But it was Daley’s performances in the Aquatics Centre that really caught the eye, as the 18-year-old claimed bronze in the 10m platform.

6.     USA women’s gymnastics squad secures team gold

After winning silver in Beijing in 2008, the USA women's gymnastics squad were crowned champions in the team event for the first time since 1996 after a superb performance at the North Greenwich Arena, with McKayla Maroney getting the Americans off to the perfect start with a vault that scored 16.233.

7.     Jessica Ennis storms to Olympic heptathlon title

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis was carrying the hopes of the entire host nation as she began her quest for an Olympic gold medal. After personal bests in the 100m hurdles, 200m and javelin, the 26-year-old secured the Olympic title with victory in the 800m, with a packed Olympic Stadium cheering her home.

8.     Usain Bolt anchors Jamaican men’s 4x100m team to new world record

Having already won the 100m and 200m, Usain Bolt joined up with Jamaican team-mates Nester Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake to complete a hat-trick of Olympic titles for the second successive Games, as he brought the baton home in the 4x100m in a new world record time of 36.84 seconds.

9.    NBA stars lead USA men to basketball gold

Thirty points from Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant helped the USA overcome a spirited Spanish team to win their fifth Olympic basketball title in the last six editions of the Games, with their 107-100 victory proving to be the closest final since the Soviet Union beat the USA 51-50 in 1972.

10.  Beach volleyball lights up Horse Guards Parade

Few venues in London caught the imagination quite like the historic Horse Guards Parade, which was transformed into a high-energy beach volleyball arena for the Games. With live performances by pop stars such as Mika and Rizzle Kicks, not to mention the world-class sporting action, seats at the iconic venue really were the hottest tickets in town.

President Obama strikes McKayla's famous pose as U.S. Olympic gymnasts visit the White House

Now Obama's not impressed! President strikes McKayla's famous pose as U.S. Olympic gymnasts visit the White House

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

PUBLISHED: 15:40, 17 November 2012 | UPDATED: 21:58, 17 November 2012

President Obama is not impressed, America. 

During a visit to the White House Thursday with her fellow athletes, president Barack Obama playfully put on McKayla's trademark scowl for a photo with the gold medalist. 

'Did I just do the Not Impressed face with the President..?” McKayla tweeted after the meeting.

Not impressed: Obama and McKayla Maroney recreated her signature look in the oval office

Face that started it all: McKayla quickly became a viral star with her scowl at the London Olympic Games

Proud moment: The White House tweeted a photograph this evening of President Obama with the Fierce Five, front row, from left: Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber

Fierce Five: Looking their glamorous best, the 2012 Women's Olympic gymnastics team visited the White House for the first time earlier today for a private meeting with the President

Looking their glamorous best, the U.S. Olympics' Fierce Five visited the White House for the first time earlier today for a private meeting with the President.

As they watched Barack Obama depart from the South Lawn on the Marine One helicopter, Jordyn Wieber, Kyla Ross, Gabby Douglas, and McKayla Maroney squealed with delight.

However taking a leaf out of McKayla's book, Aly Raisman looked decidedly unimpressed as a gust of wind blew the girls' backward.

The 17-year-old eventually came around a few moments later, smiling as Gabby turned to hide from the gale-force gust.

Heading towards the Oval Office prior, the excitedly nervous girls walked in a straight line in their high-necked mini-dresses, laughing and waving to photographers.

Taking to Twitter to share their excitement with fans, the team members posted before and after pictures of their animated day.

Mini-dress brigade: Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas giggle nervously on their way to the Oval Office

Excited faces: Gabby Douglas, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber excitedly make their way to their meeting with Barack Obama

McKayla tweeted a group picture of 'her best friends,' writing: 'All together againnn!!! FIERCE 5 reunited... So good being back with my best friends!'

Afterwards, she posted a picture of two fellow male Olympic gymnasts outside the White House gates, with the caption: 'Looking good boyz.'

Aly gave a blow-by-blow account, tweeting: 'On my way to DC to meet the president with the rest of the team!! So cool :) I'm so honored!'

Then two hours later: 'Hair & makeup in the airport bathroom with @gabrielledoug & @jordyn_wieber getting ready for the white house! LOL'

South Lawn: Taking a leaf out of McKayla's book, Aly (far right) looked decidedly unimpressed as a gust of wind blew Jordan, Kyla and Gabby backward

Animated: As they watched Mr Obama depart from the South Lawn on the Marine One helicopter Gabby, Aly and McKayla squealed with delight

Be careful, the wind might change! Aly and Kyla can't help their excited expressions as they get attacked by a gust of wind on the South Lawn

Meanwhile Kyla had tweeted a picture of her legs from the plane, writing: 'On my way to DC!' 

It's not the first time the 2012 U.S. Women's Olympic team have had personal interaction with the President however.

Barack Obama expressed his admiration for the team after their gold medal win in August, voicing a bewilderment with the sport that is likely shared by many of his constituents.

At a rally in Ohio on August first he said: 'These gymnastics folks - I don't understand how they do what they do.

Fierce five: McKayla tweeted a group picture of 'her best friends,' writing: 'All together againnn!!! FIERCE 5 reunited... So good being back with my best friends!'

'So I told these young ladies as I was congratulating them "How do you not bust your head every time you're on that little balance beam?"' 

He phoned the members individually to congratulate them on their gold medal while aboard Air Force One.

He said to Aly: 'Michelle and have watched and decided of all the Olympiads you guys amaze us the most.'

'I’m so impressed by how you bounced back and led the team. Tell your parents I’m proud of them too. I don’t think I could watch if I were them,' he told Jordyn.

The golden girls: (left to right) Jordyn Wieber, Gabrielle Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman, Kyla Ross

To McKayla, he said: 'Way to nail that vault. It was unbelievable,' while telling Kyla she was 'really steady.'

'I was impressed by how cool you were. I don’t know how you do what you do especially the balance beam,' he said.

And to the star of the team, Gabby, he said: 'You just tore it up. I know how hard you worked to get there. Keep at it. Stay cool.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234405/Obama-President-strikes-McKaylas-famous-pose-U-S-Olympic-gymnasts-visit-White-House.html#ixzz2Ca3JP5xz
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