Sports
Simone Biles Wins Sixth Olympic Gold in All-Around Gymnastics Title
Simone Biles clinched the all-around gymnastics title at the Paris Olympics, securing her second Olympic gold in the event and sixth overall, reinforcing her status as the greatest gymnast of all time. Her victory in Paris marks a remarkable comeback to the top of her sport, following her withdrawal from the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Biles, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion, made history by becoming the oldest gymnast to win the all-around title in 72 years, delighting a celebrity-filled audience at the Bercy Arena. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade earned the silver medal, while defending champion Sunisa Lee took home the bronze.
Celebrating her victory, Biles donned a sparkly goat necklace, a nod to her recognition as the GOAT (greatest of all time). At 27, she is the first gymnast to win non-consecutive all-around Olympic titles, showcasing her enduring prowess in a sport often dominated by teenagers. In fact, the past 12 Olympic all-around women’s champions were teenagers, and the last non-teenage champion before Biles was 20-year-old Ludmilla Tourischeva in 1972.
Biles’s determination was evident from the start of the competition on Thursday. She began with her signature ‘Biles II’ vault, the most difficult in women’s gymnastics, which provided her with a crucial points buffer despite a rare mistake on the uneven bars. After two rotations, she trailed Andrade but regained the lead with a high-difficulty beam routine, scoring 14.566 and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
Heading into the final floor routine with a lead of 0.166 points, Biles delivered an impeccable performance, finishing with a total score of 59.131, comfortably ahead of Andrade by 1.199 points. Andrade and the audience applauded Biles’s remarkable display, celebrating her achievement.
Great Britain’s Alice Kinsella finished 12th, showing significant improvement from her qualifying performance, while fellow Briton Georgia-Mae Fenton placed 18th. Biles, who is focused on her love for the sport rather than her statistics, has now amassed 39 world and Olympic medals, with opportunities to add more in the floor, beam, and vault finals in the coming days.
With her team gold earlier in the week, Biles surpassed Shannon Miller as the most decorated American Olympic gymnast, achieving a total of nine Olympic medals. She also had the chance to set another record by performing a new skill on bars, which, if successful, would make her the only active gymnast to have skills named after her on all four apparatus.
Sports
Jack Draper Advances to Japan Open Last 16 with Win Over Bellucci
British tennis player Jack Draper has secured a spot in the Japan Open last 16 after defeating Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in straight sets. Draper, ranked world number 20, claimed a 6-4, 6-2 victory, marking his first win since his US Open semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner earlier this month.
The 22-year-old’s triumph in Tokyo comes as a welcome return to form following a challenging Davis Cup in Manchester, where he lost both of his singles matches to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, contributing to Great Britain’s failure to reach the knockout stages.
After a tightly contested first set against world number 103 Bellucci, Draper dominated the second set, building a 5-1 lead before closing out the match. He will face Polish second seed Hubert Hurkacz in the next round on Friday.
Sports
Wolves Defender Yerson Mosquera Likely Out for Season with Knee Injury
Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Yerson Mosquera is expected to miss the remainder of the season following a serious knee injury sustained in Wolves’ 3-1 loss to Aston Villa. The 23-year-old Colombian twisted his knee after a collision with Villa’s Morgan Rogers in the 82nd minute and was stretchered off the pitch.
Scans confirmed that Mosquera suffered damage to both the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which will require surgery. Wolves’ head of high performance, Phil Hayward, said, “We will be visiting specialists to finalise the plan for surgery, and it’s highly unlikely he will feature again this season.”
Mosquera had been a key part of Wolves’ defense this season, starting all five Premier League games after returning from a loan spell at Villarreal. His absence further deepens Wolves’ defensive issues, as they did not secure a replacement for Max Kilman following his £40m move to West Ham.
Wolves, currently winless and sitting at the bottom of the Premier League, face Liverpool at home in their next match.
Sports
Ex-Real Madrid & Manchester United Defender Raphael Varane Retires at 31
Raphael Varane, former defender for Real Madrid, Manchester United, and the French national team, has retired from professional football at the age of 31. Varane, who joined Italian side Como in July, sustained a knee injury on his debut, prompting his decision to step away from playing. He will remain at Como in a non-playing capacity.
In an emotional Instagram post, Varane wrote, “It takes a big dose of courage to listen to your heart and your instinct,” explaining his desire to leave the sport on his own terms.
Varane began his career at Lens before a decade-long stint at Real Madrid, where he won 18 major trophies, including three La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns. He later joined Manchester United in 2021, making 95 appearances and winning the Carabao Cup in 2022.
Internationally, Varane earned 93 caps for France, winning the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League. Reflecting on his career, Varane expressed pride in both his achievements and staying true to his values.
He hinted at future projects with Como, adding, “Something I am looking forward to sharing more about soon.” Varane has also been vocal about the dangers of head injuries in football, having played through concussions during his career, and he has called for better protection for players.
-
Spotlight4 days ago
Top Legal Pitfalls Employers Must Avoid to Prevent Wrongful Termination Claims
-
Sports4 days ago
Barcelona’s Ter Stegen to Undergo Knee Surgery After Injury
-
Sports4 days ago
‘Haaland throwing ball at Gabriel a coward’s move’
-
Business5 days ago
British Airways Suspends Summer 2025 Flights from Southampton Airport
-
News4 days ago
Japan Battles Devastating Floods Following Record Rainfall, Six Dead
-
Entertainment4 days ago
Deadline Set for Bids on Historic Peter Pan House in Dumfries
-
Sports5 days ago
Stones Snatches Late Equaliser to Deny Arsenal Victory at Etihad
-
News2 days ago
Caroline Ellison Sentenced to Two Years in Prison, Ordered to Forfeit $11 Billion in FTX Fraud Case