American Catholic gymnast Simone Biles has won her first Olympic gold medal.
The win comes two days after Biles told celebrity magazine US Weekly that she keeps a rosary her mother gave her in her gym bag, “just in case”.
“My mom, Nellie, got me a rosary at church,” she explained. “I don’t use it to pray before a competition. I’ll just pray normally to myself, but I have it there in case.”
Biles also told the magazine: “I sometimes travel with a statue of my patron saint, Sebastian”. St Sebastian is the patron saint of athletes.
Biles’ compatriot and fellow-Catholic, swimmer Katie Ledecky, won her second Gold of the 2016 Olympics in the 200-metre freestyle on Tuesday. Ledecky has said that she sometimes prays the Hail Mary before races.
The two athletes, both 19, have achieved stellar victories in the Rio Olympics. Ledecky’s first Gold (and second medal) of the 2016 Games set a world record for the 400-metre freestyle. She had an entire five seconds to celebrate before British silver medallist Jazmin Carlin finished behind her. She is aiming for a third gold in the 800 metres this Thursday.
A few hours before Ledecky won her second Gold on Tuesday, Biles’ top scores in the vault, balance beam and floor exercise helped her five-strong team to their own record-breaking Gold. Some commentators are calling her the most talented gymnast in history. She is also a much-beloved role model: “Little girls will give me signs, posters or notes they write me,” she told Us Weekly. “I like to keep them because they’re cute and fun.”
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