Biles winner Helen Kevric is roaring for her Olympic debut
Overshadowed by the spectacular performance of U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, Helen Kevric delivers a strong Olympic debut in the all-around final, finishing eighth. The 16-year-old German gymnastics hopeful looks forward to more after this promising start. Being a rival to Biles is nothing new for Kevric, who has even outscored her before.
Relaxing by the Seine, under the shade of mighty maple trees, Helen Kevric briefly let her guard down in the Olympic Village. The 16-year-old gymnast chatted happily about her impressive eighth-place finish in the all-around and set her sights on more, both in and out of sports.
"I'd love to get a photo with Simone Biles," Kevric said on Friday. Naturally, the U.S. superstar holds a special fascination for Germany's youngest Olympian. "It's just so much fun to compete with such great gymnasts," Kevric said, sometimes even on equal terms.
Biles has three more gold medal opportunities in the coming days, after winning team and all-around titles. That it's not four is partly thanks to Kevric, who beat the greatest gymnast of all time in Paris in qualifications on the uneven bars, snatching the final spot from Biles by just 0.166 points.
"I feel really good about it," Kevric admitted before the final on Sunday (15:40 CET, Eurosport/ZDF): "Just being there is amazing, I'm really excited." It will be another big highlight in Kevric's young career, which has only known one direction: up. With her eighth place, she achieved the best German Olympic all-around result since 1988; her performances this week suggest there's still much more to come.
Despite being wide-eyed in her Olympic adventure, Kevric radiates impressive calm under pressure. Even the massive celebrity spectacle in the Bercy Arena bleachers doesn't faze the passionate amateur baker, a valuable trait in gymnastics.
While a medal on the uneven bars might be out of reach, the Olympics are already a success for the upcoming tenth-grader. She'll even make the local school paper back home, Kevric revealed.
Kevric mentioned her excitement for potentially meeting Simone Biles during the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, as she deemed it a special opportunity. The impressive eighth-place finish in the all-around at the current Olympic Games has given Kevric confidence she can continue to make strides in the future Olympic Games.
Kevric's strong performance in qualifications on the uneven bars during the current Olympic Games earned her a spot ahead of Simone Biles, potentially setting the stage for fierce competition in the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris.
