IT IS what the Olympics are all about.

The work, sacrifice and emotion every athlete pours into their preparation for the Games, in the hope of standing on the podium at the end of their event, chest swelled with pride as their national anthem blares.

It is the pinnacle of the sporting world, and for Aly Raisman, it means everything.

The American gymnast broke down in tears on Thursday after completing a flawless floor routine which confirmed for her a silver medal in the women’s individual all-around competition.

The moment @Aly_Raisman knew she had secured silver! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/4iiwOQGgtE — U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) August 11, 2016

Raisman had come painfully close to grabbing a medal in the event at the 2012 London Olympics, missing the podium after a tie-break for third spot with Russia’s Aliya Mustafina. The 22-year-old’s composure throughout the competition in Rio has been incredible, rarely allowing herself more than a small fist pump in celebration after each solid performance.

But after four years of dedicating herself to the goal of proving she is worthy of a podium finish, the immense relief in her moment of success showed just how much it means.

The individual silver is the American’s second medal at Rio, having won gold in the all-around team event. She also won gold in London in the team event and individual floor exercise, and claimed bronze on the balance beam. Her fifth Olympic medal, however, clearly meant just as much as her first.

In Rio’s individual all-around, Raisman was narrowly beaten by fellow Simone Biles.

The 19-year-old crushed her rivals with a powerful display of acrobatics and tumbling in the Rio Olympic Arena which kept the all-around title in US hands for a fourth straight Olympics.

Biles led a US 1-2 ahead of Raisman, just 2,1 points clear, with Russia’s Aliya Mustafina taking her second straight Games all-around bronze.

It keeps three-time world all-around champion Biles’ bid for a record five women’s gymnastics gold on track with vault, beam and floor finals to come in Rio.

The United States also become the first country to win the all-around title four consecutive times — Carly Patterson in Athens 2004, followed by Nastia Liukin in 2008 and Gabby Douglas, 2012.

The all-around is the summit of women’s gymnastics, a battle across four disciplines — vault, uneven bars, beam and floor — between the top athletes in the sport.

And 1.45m (4ft 9ins) Biles, competing in her first Olympics, delivered a nerveless performance despite being the overwhelming favourite after helping the US women to a second straight team gold.

She launched her challenge by nailing a difficult Amanar vault scoring 15.866 despite a wobbly landing to lead Raisman by 0.233.

Mustafina, a five-time gold medallist in London, pulled out 15.666 on uneven bars on she is reigning Olympic champion, to lead at the half-way point by 0.034 as Biles hit 14.966 on her weakest apparatus.

Biles surged in front again with 15.433 on the beam as Mustafina dropping back after errors.

The American led Mustafina by 1.533 going into the final floor rotation on which she is the reigning three-time world champion.

But the Russian scored low to allow Raisman, the Olympic floor champion, to pull ahead with a flawless floor routine to snatch silver which was only bettered by Biles’s Samba performance.

The tearful teammates clutched each other as they waited for the scores — Biles scoring highest on the apparatus along with the vault and the beam.

China’s Shang Chunsong finished fourth with Brazil’s Jade Barbosa withdrawing after picking up a injury on floor.

Douglas, 20, failed to make the cut to defend her title despite finishing third in qualifiers behind Biles and Raisman. Only two competitors can compete per nation in the final.