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SPORTS Tuesday 27 december 2016

Sports

In this Aug. 9, 2016 file photo, United States’ Simone Biles performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women’s team final at the Summer Olympics
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Briles was selected as the AP Female Athlete of the Year, on Monday, Dec. 26, 2016.
Associated Press
Simone Biles soars to AP Female Athlete of the Year

WILL GRAVES atop the podium, a gold news directors announced Gabby Douglas in 2012. It’s to success at the Games.
AP Sports Writer medal around her neck Monday, Biles received 31 company Biles joined while Yet Biles seemed immune
Simone Biles tried to treat and the sport she’s redefin- votes out of a possible 59 completing a run of domi- to it. At least on the outside.
the 2016 Summer Olympics ing one boundary-pushing votes. U.S. Olympic swim- nance that included three Inside, there were more
like just your average ordi- routine at a time staring up mer Katie Ledecky, who straight all-around World than a few butterflies when
nary gymnastics meet. So at her. Not that she remem- won four golds and a silver Championships, an un- she stepped onto the floor
what if the stage and the bers any of it. in Rio, finished second with precedented run at the top during team preliminaries
stakes were different? “It’s kind of a blur,” Biles 20 votes. in a sport where peaks are on Aug. 7.
The floor was still the floor. said. Serena Williams, who won often measured in months, They vanished the mo-
The vault still the vault. Maybe to Biles, but not to Wimbledon for the sev- not years. ment she stepped onto
The uneven bars still un- the rest of the world. Her enth time to tie Steffi Graf’s The teenager from Spring, the green and cream col-
even. The balance beam massive haul in Rio de Ja- record of 22 Grand Slam Texas, hardly seemed bur- ored floor at Rio Olympic
still a four-inch wide test of neiro — a record-tying four titles, and three-time AP dened by the outsized ex- Arena as she and the rest
nerves. golds to go along with a women’s NCAA basketball pectations. of her “Final Five” team-
And the 19-year-old with bronze for the dominant Player of the Year Breanna If anything, she embraced mates — Douglas, Aly Ra-
the electric smile and U.S. women’s team — pro- Stewart tied for third with them. She opted out of isman, Laurie Hernandez
boundless talent was still pelled her to stardom and four votes each. a verbal commitment to and Madison Kocian — put
the best in the world. May- rendered her last name su- The AP Male Athlete of the compete collegiately at on a clinic that showcased
be the best of all-time. perfluous. Now there’s one Year will be announced UCLA to turn professional how substantial the gap
Over the course of 10 days more honor to add to what Tuesday. so she could cash in on the between the Americans
in August, the biggest meet on Twitter is known simply Biles became the fifth gym- lucrative opportunities af- and the rest of the world
of her life ended like pretty as #SimoneThings: Associ- nast to win the honor, join- forded an Olympic cham- has grown.
much all the others in the ated Press Female Athlete ing Olga Korbut in 1972, pion, a bit of a gamble
four years that came be- of the Year. Nadia Comaneci in 1976, considering the window is Continued on page 20
fore it: with Biles standing In a vote by U.S. editors and Mary Lou Retton in 1984 and so narrow and directly tied