and now:
Is this a JOKE? Biles is excellent, but won only 3 gold Olympic medals (plus one as part of winning USA team).
By contrast Nadia Comaneci won FIVE individual golds in 1976, including the first of only four PERFECT 10 scores in Olympic history.
I know virtually nothing of gymnastics, but, what you say is good for discussion, as far as Nadia being among the all time greats. Her Olympic records speak for themselves.
Routines have gotten exponentially more difficult in the decades since Comaneci competed.
Even Nadia would concede that Simone’s routines are an order of magnitude more difficult than anything she did back in the 70’s. Nadia pushed the limits of her time, but 1976 Nadia wouldn’t even sniff a medal today. Nadia was the best of her generation, and in 1976, maybe the best of all time. But gymnastics has evolved into a different sport. No longer is “smooth, fluid and graceful” critical to scoring. Instead, it’s strength, athleticism, complexity, and incredible acrobatic feats. Note that Biles’ beam dismount, a move that she is currently the only person capable of performing really well, and is thus named “the Biles” was downgraded in scoring standards to discourage other gymnasts from attempting it due to injury risk. Many, if not most people consider Simone Biles the GOAT, but comparing her to Nadia is difficult considering they effectively competed in different sports.
Biles has won a ton of world championship gold medals. Beyond that, the scoring system is different now and emphasizes difficulty. The only “Perfect 10s” these days are at the collegiate level (NCAA) which uses a different scoring system. Elite international gymnastics has undergone a huge transformation.
[By contrast Nadia Comaneci won FIVE individual golds in 1976, including the first of only four PERFECT 10 scores in Olympic history.]
https://oklahoman.com/article/3867856/nadia-comaneci-feels-at-home-in-oklahoma