Simone Biles, born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, USA, is widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts in the history of the sport. Her remarkable achievements include winning four gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, a first for a U.S. female gymnast in a single Olympics and securing three consecutive world all-around titles from 2013 to 2015.
Raised in Spring, Texas, in the Houston area, Simone and her sister Adria were adopted by their grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles. Simone’s gymnastics journey began at age six during a field trip to Bannon’s Gymnastics, where she trained for 11 years under coach Aimee Boorman. In 2010, she claimed gold in floor exercise and bronze in vault at the Women’s Junior Olympic National Championships, making her elite competition debut in 2011. Biles stood out for her consistency, vibrant personality, and the complexity of her routines across all four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.
At the 2013 World Gymnastics Championships, her first year as a senior competitor, the 4-foot 9-inch (1.45-meter) Biles won the all-around title, becoming the first African American woman to do so. She also excelled in floor exercise, earned silver in vault, and bronze in balance beam. In 2014, she won four gold medals at the World Championships, including in the women’s team, all-around, balance beam, and floor exercise, and a silver in vault.
In 2015, Biles became the first woman since Kim Zmeskal in 1992 to win three consecutive U.S. all-around titles. At that year’s World Championships, she clinched her third all-around title, along with titles in balance beam and floor exercise, a bronze in vault, and a team title. Her career total of 14 world championship medals set a new record for a U.S. gymnast, and her 10 world championship golds were the most by any female gymnast at that time.
Despite being too young for the 2012 London Olympics, Biles was a top contender for the 2016 Rio Olympics. She achieved her goal, leading the U.S. team to gold and winning the individual all-around. She also triumphed in the floor and vault events, and earned a bronze in balance beam, totaling five medals. After a brief hiatus from gymnastics, she revealed in 2018 that she had been a victim of Larry Nassar’s abuse. That same year, Biles returned to dominate the U.S. National Championships, winning all five events, including a fifth all-around title. She set a record at the 2018 World Championships with four golds, one silver, and one bronze, bringing her total to 20 medals.
In 2019, Biles continued to break records, winning five gold medals at the World Championships, surpassing Vitaly Scherbo’s record with 25 world championship medals. She also secured five medals, including four golds, at the U.S. National Championships. Despite the pause in major events in 2020 due to COVID-19, Biles remained at the forefront, becoming the first woman to land a Yurchenko double pike vault in competition at the 2021 U.S. Classic. She won her seventh all-around title at the U.S. National Championships that year, along with three other golds and a bronze.
Entering the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), Biles faced high expectations. However, she withdrew from several events due to “the twisties,” a condition causing disorientation during aerial maneuvers, highlighting the importance of mental health in sports. She returned to win a bronze medal in the balance beam event.
