ANTWERP, Belgium — The enduring moment from this year’s world gymnastics championships will be that of Simone Biles, her head tossed back, right hand in front of her face, left arm outstretched beside her, in the final pose of her spectacular floor routine. Or maybe it will be Biles wiping away tears — or was that an eyelash? — on the top step of the all-around podium, which featured three Black women for the first time in the sport’s history. Or perhaps it will be Biles, 26, tripping over her own feet during her floor performance in the all-around, laughing at herself and then nailing her final tumbling pass.
Really, it will be all these moments, because Biles is all these things: the most decorated gymnast of all time, a rock for her teammates, a gold standard for a generation of gymnasts, emotional in her return to the sport and unflappable and funny even when her performances don’t go precisely to plan.
“I was excited being back out here competing, having fun, having that pressure again,” Biles said after taking gold in the…
