At the rate they’re piling up the bling, their collection is going to rival that of a royal family by the end of next summer's Rio Olympics.
Simone Biles became the first woman to win three consecutive titles at the world championships Thursday. One step below her on the podium was Gabby Douglas, the first reigning Olympic champ to win a world medal since way back in 1981.
"It’s such an honor, especially coming from the United States," said Biles, who matched Svetlana Khorkina for total all-around titles. "We strive for greatness."
Safe to say they’ve got that covered.
he Americans, who two days earlier won their third consecutive team title, are so much better than the rest of the world that the best competition occurs back at the Karolyi Ranch, where the national team has monthly training camps. Get through those, and spots on the podium may as well be on reserve.
Biles is, of course, a huge part of that. The 18-year-old hasn’t lost a meet in 2½ years and is so dominant her teammates joke that gymnastics officials ought to create a division just for her. They’re not far wrong; even with mistakes on two events Thursday, she won by her largest margin yet.
But it’s the endless well of talent that keeps the Americans sharp. And makes for special scenes like the one where Douglas enveloped Biles in a hug when the final standings were posted, whispering congratulations in her ear.
"We’re done," Biles said when asked what they said to each other. "We’re finally done, and I love you so much and good job."
Well, not quite. The event finals are still to come this weekend, and both Biles and Douglas have chances to extend their gold rush.
Gymnastics is a brutal, grueling sport. As soon as someone ascends to the top of the podium, gravity and Father Time are there to knock them right back down. Only Biles, the first champion to repeat since Khorkina in 2003, and Vanessa Ferrari even managed to make it back onto the podium the next year.
But Biles makes defying those odds look easy. Each year, her skills get harder and better. Each year, she performs with more confidence and personality.
Each year, the gap between her and everyone else widens.
"She’s amazing," Douglas said, shaking her head as she looked over at her friend and rival.
Douglas is not exactly a slouch, however.
As difficult as it has been to repeat as world champion, winning back-to-back Olympic golds is practically impossible. Only two women have done it, and the last was in 1968. No one’s even made it back to the Games since Nadia Comaneci in 1980.
But Douglas is poised to buck at least one of those trends. Her silver medal comes a mere eight months after her first meet since London, and the 19-year-old estimated that she’s "80%" of where she was at the Olympics.
"It’s so much fun!" Douglas said, flashing her trademark smile. "Me and Simone, we really wanted to go out here and just have fun. We’re like, 'Let’s crush it! Let’s break the events!' We just really wanted to enjoy it because it goes by so fast."
Too fast for them to fully appreciate the magnitude of what they’re doing.
While Biles admitted she found all the talk about a three-peat a bit unsettling, it was the fear of not meeting expectations that flustered her. The number of titles and where it puts her in history, that’s just too much to comprehend right now.
"I just keep blowing my own mind," Biles admitted. "There are goals that I have and then I dream of it and then I make it a reality.
"If I could crawl out of my skin and see it, it would be really amazing."
Douglas knew the history she was chasing, too. But the road to Rio is so long, this isn’t the time to stop and admire the scenery.
"It’s just awesome that I’ve come so far and done so well," she said. "I’m just so happy and so excited right now. It’s like, 'Whoa!' "
Whoa is right. And woe to the rest of the world.
