Tokyo, Jul 29 (EFE).- Team USA’s Suni Lee clinched the gold medal in the women’s individual artistic all-around final on Thursday as Simone Biles watched on from the sidelines having withdrawn from the event to focus on her mental health.
Lee, 18, became the fifth consecutive American to secure gold in the Olympic discipline, holding off Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who with the silver became Latin America’s first-ever female medalist in artistic gymnastics, and Russian gymnast Angelina Melnikova, who took bronze.
Lee’s 57.433 overall point haul edged her past Andrade’s 57.298.
Team USA’s success comes two days after the Russian Olympic Committee women’s team snatched gold in the team all-around final, ending almost a decade of American dominance and a Russian gold-drought that began in Barcelona 1992.
Superstar Biles withdrew from the team event and later confirmed she would sit out the individual event to focus on her mental wellbeing.
She joined fellow Team USA gymnasts in the stands to cheer Lee and Jade Carey, who finished in 8th place, during Thursday’s event.
Earlier in the day, Biles thanked her fans on social media.
“The outpouring of love and support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I truly never believed before,” she said.EFE
Text and photos courtesy of EFE
