Simone

Simone Biles is…a sort of human miracle. It’s hard to find the words. I’m dazzled. The twenty-two year old gymnast has just won her sixth US title, but the real news is she performed two world firsts on the way through.

Dismouting from the balance beam she did a double double, never before done by a female gymnast in a competition. That means she did two end-over-end revolutions, while simultaneously completing two 360 degree sideways spins to dismount the beam, from a standing start.

On the floor, she did a triple-double – three sideways spins and two end-to-end revolutions. I feel giddy even thinking about it and utterly defeated by the physics. Fab watching it in slow motion on Twitter.

What can you say about the strength, coordination, spatial awareness, imagination, blistering talent and physical courage of the woman?

Her bravery goes way, way beyond that, though. Just over 18 months ago she revealed she’d been one of many athletes abused by Dr Larry Nassar, USA Gymnastics’ former sports doctor. He was accused of molesting at least 250 young women and girls, as well as a young man starting as far back as 1992. He was finally convicted and jailed for the rest of his life in 2018.

Before the US championships began, she lost her usual composure a little, becoming tearful when describing how she felt about representing an organisation that so spectacularly failed to protect the people it exists to serve.

She didn’t pull any punches: “It’s hard coming here for an organisation having had them fail us so many times. And we had one goal and we’ve done everything that they’ve asked us for, even when we didn’t want to and they couldn’t do one damn job. You had one job. You literally had one job and you couldn’t protect us.”

She also said, “it’s not easy being out here. I feel every day is a reminder of what I went through and what I’ve been through and what I’m going through and how I’ve come out of it.”

She’s also suffered negative comments about her body’s shape and weight in her time in the spotlight. The world is full of fools.

Go and watch Ms Biles fly on YouTube. You’ve never seen anything like it.