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Top 5 highlights of Simone Biles' illustrious career ahead of Paris Olympics ft. Returning for beam finals in Tokyo
Simone Biles is arguably the best athlete to grace the gymnastics arena. From LeBron James to Aaron Rodgers, from Rory McIlroy to Michael Johnson, from Joe Biden to Barack Obama, everyone has sung praise for the American gymnast, all of whom believe the Olympic champion has brought gymnastics to the limelight.
Biles made her senior international debut in March 2013. Six months later, the 4’8 ft. gymnast stunned the world by executing some of the toughest gymnastics skills. She even got a skill named after her at the age of 16. Eleven years later she’s going stronger than ever.
Five highlights from Simone Biles' career
#1 2013 World Championships
Simone Biles demonstrated a level of execution and skills that hadn't been seen for a long time in gymnastics. Her explosive power and flawless execution earned her first all-around and floor-exercise gold medals. If that wasn't a big achievement, Biles’ routines made everyone turn heads.
The 27-year-old performed one of the hardest gymnastics skills with ease, doing a double-back layout with a half twist for the first time in her career. The skill has become a signature move in Biles’ floor routines, and was named after her ‘Biles on Floor.'
#2 2016 Rio Olympics
Simone Biles had a staggering 10 world gold medals to her name in three campaigns before the Rio Olympics 2016 started. Following her selection to the Olympic team, the American was accused of doping by Russian media. It prompted her to open up about her ADHD disorder, for which she had been taking medication with the approval of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Nothing could stop the American, who went on to win four gold medals and a bronze. She won the all-around, vault, and floor exercise titles, with scores of 61.198, 15.966, and 15.966 respectively. Biles scored 61.833 in the team competition, powering the USA to a huge victory by a margin of eight points.
#3 2018 World Championships
Simone Biles took a long break following the Olympics and also changed her longtime coach Aimee Borman in 2017. She participated in Dancing with the Stars as well during the same year, finishing fourth. Biles returned to competitive gymnastics at the 2018 U.S. Classic and later returned to World Championship glory in October.
Despite being diagnosed with a kidney stone earlier before the finals, Biles won the gold medal in four events including the all-around competition. She also debuted ‘Biles on Vault’, which is one of the hardest gymnastics skills in history.
#4 2021 Tokyo Olympics-Returning for beam finals
Simone Biles' stocks were so high that even a small failure triggered widespread criticism. The gymnast was all set to defend her four Olympic gold medals from Rio and was an overwhelming favorite to do so, until ‘Twisties’ struck her, making her lose consciousness of her position in the air.
She withdrew from every event except Balance Beam, which was scheduled for the last stages of the competition. Despite all the criticism and chants of ‘quitter’, she did return indeed for the beam finals. Biles visibly wasn't at her best but still managed to win bronze with a score of 14.000. The Olympic champion credits the medal as one of the most important of her career.
#5 2023 World Championships
Despite coming back for balance beam finals after a traumatizing experience, Simone Biles was still labeled ‘quitter’. She took a long break following the Olympics to focus on her mental health. Biles returned to competition in 2023 to cement her legacy as the greatest of all time.
After helping the USA win its seventh consecutive team title, the 27-year-old won a record-tying 6th all-around title to become the most decorated gymnast in Olympics and World Championships history. She also won gold medals on balance beam and floor exercise and a solved on vault to script one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.
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