Hillary Heron, the unknown gymnast who copied Simone Biles

The Panamanian Hillary Heron She is the only gymnast who shines in the superdiva’s shadow Simone Biles at the debut of women’s gymnastics at the Olympic Games. of Paris, at the Palais Omnisports de Bercy. And he did it under that adage that says, if you can’t beat your enemy, join him.

Heron, 20, became the only gymnast other than his creator capable of performing the ‘speed 1’ In the floor exercise, a double stretch with a half twist in the second somersault the American did in the 2013 World Cup, when he was just 16 years old. Her work deserved applause and made her the unexpected heroine of the day, although it was not enough to get her into a final that was so expensive for a modest athlete like the Panamanian. “This is the competition that I have enjoyed the most in my life and it motivates me a lot for the future,” said Hillary at the end.

To cap off her big day, Biles herself congratulated Heron as she loved her blue, white and red jersey, designed by herself and which included traditional Panamanian motifs, such as the gala skirt, the flower of the divine spirit and the bridge of the Americas. “Simone loved it and it means the universe to me, I’m so happy and so honoured.”

The gymnast is also the flag bearer of Panama, which will present eight athletes in Paris, at the opening ceremony and hopes that she and her country will take a step forward in four years, at Los Angeles 2028. “Regarding sports, the Panama is not as developed as other countries, but I think we are making steps in the right direction. In Paris we were only eight athletes, but later we will be 10, and later 12, certainly, because we are setting an example for children who in the future want to be Olympians.