Simply the best Simone Biles is small in stature — just 4-foot-8 — but her reputation looms large.
The Texas-based gymnast, now widely regarded as the greatest in her sport, began taking classes at age 6 and was invited to the junior national team camp at the age of 14. Two years later, she made it to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She won a gold medal at the all-around and floor exercises competitions. She then won two more Worlds all-around titles, ahead of her Olympics debut at Rio de Janeiro.
“People say I’m the best, but I still don’t think that,” Biles told The New YorkerBefore the 2016 competition. “I guess if I go to the Olympics and do well, maybe I’ll believe it.”
She did exceptionally well, winning gold medals for individual all-around, vault, floor, bronze medals in balance beam, and a gold medal with the United States team alongside. Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez Madison Kocian.
The five-time world champion took an unplanned break after the 2016 Olympics in order to finish a book, and then return to the stage. Dancing With the StarsShe returned to the gym in August 2017 after she had left.
The ESPY winner claimed two more world titles and intended to retire after competing in 2020 Olympic Games.
“I kind of let myself go through the emotions,” she told Sports Illustrated in July 2021, recalling her feelings after realizing she’d have to wait another year to compete. “Sad, mad, angry, pissed off, hysterical — all of the phases. And that’s the first time in my life I’ve ever felt the emotions rather than somebody coming up to me and telling me, ‘Hey, it’s gonna be OK.’ I got to relish in all of those emotions and phases myself rather than people telling me, ‘Hey, it’s gonna be OK. You should be fine.’ It’s like, ‘Bro, no, I don’t want to be fine. I don’t have to be fine. I don’t have to be mad at you right now.’”
Biles was expected again to dominate at the Tokyo Games but she pulled out of the team competition following a disappointing performance in the vault, her signature event.
“Simone has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue,” USA Gymnastics told Us WeeklyIn a statement issued July 2021. “She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”
Despite her withdrawal, the U.S. team — which also included Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles Grace McCallum — still took home the silver medal.
“They stepped up when I couldn’t,” Biles wrote of her teammates in an Instagram post after their second-place finish. “Thanks for being there for me and having my back!”
Keep scrolling to take a look back at Biles’ many achievements over the years:
