It was a relatively quiet day in Rio for Team USA, but Simone Biles continued to win medals on Tuesday and even got to meet her celebrity crush, which sparked a “like” frenzy on social media.
Fantastic Five
Simone Biles continued to wow audiences and won yet another gold metal on Tuesday when she competed in the floor, scoring a 15.966. The 19-year-old Biles‘ medal count is now five: four gold and one bronze.
If not for Biles‘ for-the-ages performances, fellow American gymnast Aly Raisman would have scooped up the gold on the floor; instead Raisman added a silver to her total collection of three from these games.
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Jenny Simpson became the first American female to medal in the 1,500 meters on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Simpson had a come-from-behind burst that helped capture the medal.
Spiked
The U.S. women’s duo of Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross came up short against hometown favorites Agatha and Barbara (just the one name for both) in the beach volleyball semi. No shame in losing and Jennings and Ross still play for bronze, but the match was notable as it was the first time Jennings has lost at the Olympics, snapping her 26-0 run.
Coverage:
A Lot of Gold
On Tuesday it was announced U.S. Olympic stars Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles would appear together on the next issue of Sports Illustrated. Among the three, there is a total of 16 medals: six for Phelps, five for Ledecky and five for Biles.
Social Media:
Zac and Simone
The most popular social media moment of the day’s games appeared to be when Simone Biles got to meet her celebrity crush, Zac Efron. Biles has been pretty open about her fondness for the movie star, and on Tuesday, she finally got to meet him. She posted the moment to social media, naturally.
on cloud 9 @ZacEfron pic.twitter.com/3lFpi1tuwF
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 16, 2016
What to Watch, Medal Rounds:
Wednesday coverage
Women’s long jump — Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese are competing for the U.S.
Women’s 200m — Deajah Stevens and Tori Bowie are competing for the U.S.
