Harvesting five medals in one Olympic Games will likely not be topped in women's gymnastics, not anytime soon. Simone Biles is the 19-year-old who performed so admirably and precisely in Rio de Janeiro over these past two weeks, and her light could shine again in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020.
Among her heroes, she includes gymnastics greats Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. Among non-gymnasts she finds inspiration in, Biles name-drops Serena Williams, saying, "She's just so cool."
The feeling is mutual. Williams shouted out both Biles and Simone Manuel, who became the first African-American woman to win Olympic gold in an individual swimming event.