#POCMedalWatch: Simone Biles Nets Fourth Gold Medal in Rio

By Sameer Rao Aug 16, 2016

Does Team USA’s Olympic dominance surprise anybody anymore? Do the pivotal contributions and wins for athletes of color shock anyone? No? Then let’s jump into the latest edition of Rio 2016‘s #POCMedalWatch:

Simone Biles, Gymnastics
Biles won a fourth—yes, fourth—gold medal in the women’s floor exercise, as well as a bronze medal in the women’s beam competition.

Laurie Hernandez, Gymnastics
Hernandez placed ahead of Biles in the women’s beam, earning a silver medal. 

Danell Leyva, Gymnastics
The Cuban-born Leyva won two silver medals, one in the men’s horizontal bar and another in the men’s parallel bar competition.

Christian Taylor, Track & Field
Taylor, who is Black, netted a gold medal in the men’s triple jump race.

Allyson Felix, Track & Field
Felix, who is Black, won a silver medal in the women’s 400m dash.

Will Claye, Track & Field
Claye, who is of Sierra Leonean descent, won a silver medal in the men’s triple jump.

Sarah Robles, Weightlifting 
Robles, a Mexican-American weightlifter who uses her public profile to speak about body positivity, won a bronze medal in weightlifting. It is the first weighlifting medal for any U.S. Olympian in 16 years. 

These nine medals contribute to Team USA’s current total of 85—and #POCMedalWatch’s total of 39.

View the previous #POCMedalWatch winners here.