Simone Biles wins record-tying 4th Olympic gymnastics gold

By Will Graves, The Associated Press

Simone Biles put the finishing touches on one of the greatest Olympics by a gymnast, capturing her fourth gold of the games with a showstopping performance in the floor exercise on Tuesday.

• VIDEO: Simone Biles adds another gold in floor event
• SCHEDULE & RESULTS: Artistic gymnastics at Rio 2016
• Simone Biles stumbles on balance beam, settles for bronze

The 19-year-old American completed an extraordinary stretch that included a team gold for the "Final Five" as well as individual golds in the all-around and vault and bronze on balance beam. Her five medals tie the most for an American female gymnast in a single Olympics and her four golds tie an Olympic record shared by four others.

Biles embraced her longtime coach shortly after her routine — which includes a tumbling pass named in her honour and a Brazilian-themed segment intended to play to the crowd in Rio — and beamed when her score of 15.966 was posted.

"It's been a long journey," Biles said. "I've enjoyed every single moment of it. I know our team has. It's been very long in competing so many times. It got tiring. But we just wanted to end on a good note."

Teammate Aly Raisman followed with a 15.500 to give her a third medal during Rio and six overall in her Olympic career. The 22-year-old team captain — who was second in the all-around to Biles last week — waved to the stands as she walked off the floor, likely for the final time as a competitor.

The medals gave the American women nine during the meet, the most ever by the U.S. at an Olympics.

Amy Tinkler of Great Britain earned bronze, though the day — and really the Olympics — belong to Biles. While she admitted she was a bit tired on Monday after her only one real mistake of the games — a wobbly landing on beam that cost her a shot at gold — Biles hardly looked it during her signature event.

Buoyant in a glittery red, white and blue leotard, Biles spent 90 seconds showcasing her talent. She doesn't tumble so much as fly, her 4-foot-8 frame soaring over the white mat as if she was trying to touch the video board three stories above. She plans to take a break following the closing ceremonies and try to adjust to a life that will never be the same after nine days that elevated her from gymnastics' best-kept secret to star.

Double silver for Leyva

Oleg Verniaiev won gold in the men's parallel bars event Tuesday with a score of 16.041, edging Danell Leyva of the United States, who won silver, and David Belyavskiy of Russia, who won bronze.

Leyva won a second silver medal Tuesday on the horizontal bar, finishing behind Fabian Hambuechen of Germany, who won gold, and ahead of Nile Wilson of Britain, who won bronze.

Leyva began his afternoon's work with the parallel bars and completed it with the horizontal bar, from which he had fallen during last week's men's team final.

"This was absolutely a redemption, not only for me but for the team as well. My success is as much for the team as it is for me," he said.

With files from Reuters