Miller tips Biles to break her record 7-medal haul

NEW DELHI • Shannon Miller thinks her time as the United States' most-decorated Olympic gymnast will come to an end this summer and she will be in Tokyo cheering on compatriot Simone Biles as the 22-year-old bids to supplant her.

Biles bagged four golds and a bronze in her dazzling Games debut in Rio de Janeiro four years ago and is widely expected to surpass Miller's haul of seven this year.

"I'm excited about it," said Miller, 42, who was in India as an ambassador for last Sunday's Mumbai Marathon."For me and for so many athletes, we feel that records are made to be broken.

"It's how sport thrives, it's how it evolves, and it's how it progresses. It's important for athletes to be inspired to do more, each and every year along the way. I'll be among the fans cheering her on."

An explosive combination of power, agility and creativity, Biles has already vaulted into the debate as the greatest gymnast of all time.

Miller, who won five medals at Barcelona 1992 and two at Atlanta 1996, is amazed at how Biles, the most-decorated gymnast in world championship history, continues to dominate the sport.

She added: "A lot of times, you have difficult skills but you are not as consistent, or you're very consistent, but you don't have as much difficulty. She has both."

While governing body USA Gymnastics is still recovering from a scandal that saw former team doctor Larry Nassar sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in 2018 after more than 300 women, including Biles, accused him of sexual abuse, Miller does not feel American gymnasts will be hindered as they are focused.

Teams in Tokyo will comprise four gymnasts, down from five in London 2012, which is likely to discourage teams from picking specialists in case of injury.

Smaller team sizes should not be a headache for the US, who are eyeing a hat-trick of golds in Tokyo.

"There are pros and cons, but what we as athletes do is we find out the rules and then we focus on what our best strategy is, to not only make the team, but then, how best to create a make-up of the team," Miller said. "So, you kind of control what you can control and then you go out and do the very best you can."

REUTERS