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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 28 July 2018
Olympic champ Biles focused on future, not legacy in return

By WILL GRAVES turn the spotlight — at least
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — briefly — back to the sport
Simone Biles wasn't brag- itself and not the scandal.
ging. That's never really "I hope so because gym-
been her thing. Her tone nastics has been a big part
was confident but not of my life, the coaches'
cocky. Sincere without the lives, the gymnasts' lives,
swagger. everyone's lives out here,"
Yes, the defending Olympic she said. "So I hope looking
champion — who returns from the outside in they'll
to competition for the first want to put their kids in
time since the 2016 Games gymnastics and find the
when she competes in the love and joy that we have
U.S. Classic on Saturday for it."
night — really does believe A joy that Biles insists re-
she's better now than she mains. The proof can be
was when she stepped off found in the way she's em-
the podium in Rio de Ja- braced the chance not to
neiro two years ago with reclaim what she once had
a record-tying fourth gold but instead turned her fo-
medal around her neck. cus into pushing herself —
Asked on Friday how her In this Aug. 11, 2016, file photo, United States' Simone Biles performs on the balance beam during and gymnastics — further.
gymnastics in 2018 stack the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de She's upped her difficulty
up against the form she Janeiro, Brazil. on both bars and floor.
showed in Brazil — when Associated Press She's likely going to ditch
Biles cemented her status the Amanar as her primary
as one of her sport's all- ton with no firm plans and "I feel like I have a stron- 2016, eventually leading vault for the Cheng, which
time greats with 10 days of no timetable other than ger mindset and I'm not as to accusations that former offers the promise of a high-
breathtaking performanc- to see what she and new nervous," Biles said. "Not for Olympic team trainer Larry er score if done correctly.
es that left her peers grasp- coaches Laurent and Ce- this particular competition. Nassar sexually abused "That's amazing because
ing for superlatives — Biles cile Landi could cook up. I still have a lot of nerves I gymnasts. usually, they're holding on
didn't hesitate. She giggled At 21, she's taken more need to get out in the train- Nassar, a longtime sports to what they had and she's
a bit. But she didn't hesi- ownership of her routines. ings that we have to come, doctor at Michigan State eclipsed that and doing
tate. The weight of expecta- but I feel like I'm in a bet- who also volunteered as far more," said Tom Forster,
"I would probably beat her, tions she carried during the ter place. I trust my body the team physician for USA named the new high-per-
yeah," Biles said. buildup to Rio de Janeiro more. I trust my gymnastics Gymnastics, is serving de- formance coordinator for
And it only took eight is gone. No matter what more. So overall I'm in a cades in prison for child the national team earlier
months. happens during the rest of better place." pornography and other this month. "I've never seen
Biles took a lengthy post- her career, she will always Even if the organization she crimes after hundreds of that. I've never seen that
Olympic breather to enjoy have those five Olympic — is returning to following her women said he sexually before, so that's exciting.
the perks of her newfound oh, and 14 world champi- hiatus is not. abused them under the She's amazing."
fame. She did "Danc- onship — medals. While Biles returned to the guise of medical care. Biles Biles has an opponent none
ing With The Stars." She They aren't going any- United States to newfound revealed she was one of of the other women in the
cut commercials. Made where. Neither is she. Let stardom, USA Gymnas- Nassar's victims in January. field have to face: her leg-
the talk show rounds. She her get one thing out of tics returned to questions She has declined to get acy. She hasn't lost a meet
moved into her own apart- the way: She didn't have about how it handled com- into specifics, preferring to in five years. Yet as great as
ment. She found time for to come back. She wanted plaints of sexual miscon- move forward instead of she's felt in practice, even
romance. to. The difference isn't se- duct by member coaches looking back. Yet she also she's a little curious about
Then last fall she headed mantic. It's one of the rea- raised by an Indianapolis understands how having how she'll respond when
back into the gym her fam- sons she believes her best Star investigation. The story the Olympic champion on the lights come on and the
ily owns in suburban Hous- gymnastics is still to come. mushroomed in the fall of the competition floor can scores count.q
Isner reaches Atlanta Open semifinals for 9th straight year

ATLANTA (AP) — John Is- six years, the top-seeded Is- derson in the Wimbledon Tour title. He's 1-3 against Open final, with Isner win-
ner advanced to the BB&T ner set up a match against semifinals. The 6-foot-10 for- Isner, winning in January in ning in straight sets.
Atlanta Open semifinals fourth-seeded Matthew mer University of Georgia the Australian Open. Eighth-seeded Ryan Harri-
for the ninth straight year, Ebden of Australia. Ebden star won the Miami Open "I am definitely playing bet- son also advanced, beat-
beating Germany's Mischa beat Marcos Baghdatis of in April for his 13th ATP Tour ter than I was in the begin- ing South Korea's Chung
Zverev 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 on Fri- Cyprus 6-3, 6-2. title. ning of the year. I was strug- Hyeon 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (5).
day. The 33-year-old Isner lost Isner is 7-1 in the semifinals, gling a little bit," Isner said. "This is exactly what the
"He is a tough player. I only two first-serve points with the lone loss coming "To his credit, he played doctor ordered for me,"
played well today. I need- against the seventh-seed- to Andy Roddick in 2012. Is- much better than me that Harrison said. "It was a little
ed to," Isner said. "It was a ed Zverev, won all but three ner's only other losses in the day in Australia. He had the nervy from both of us there
weird match. The balls were of his service points in the event came in the finals, to home crowd on his side. It at the end."
bouncing everywhere, it third set and broke twice. Mardi Fish in 2010 and 2011 helps a lot. Now, I'm play- The runner-up last year,
was tough to control. I was Isner improved to 29-4 in and Nick Kyrgios in 2016. Is- ing in my backyard and Harrison will face the win-
happy to get through in the event, winning his sec- ner won titles in 2013, 2014, he beat me in his back- ner of the night match be-
three sets." ond match after a 6-hour, 2015 and 2017. yard. We'll see if I can turn tween the second-seeded
Seeking his fifth victory at 36-minute loss — with a 26- The 30-year-old Ebden is the tide." They also met last Kyrgios of Australia and Brit-
Atlantic Station in the last 25 fifth set — to Kevin An- chasing his first ATP World year in the Hall of Fame ain's Cameron Norrie.q