WHO IS SIMONE BILES?
Introduction
Simone Biles showcased her exceptional talents as a prodigious gymnast from an early age. Following her exceptional performance at the junior elite level, she achieved victory in both the U.S. and global all-around championships in 2013. After a span of two years, she successfully asserted her dominance by securing an unprecedented third consecutive global all-around championship. She subsequently assumed the role of leading the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team, known as “The Final Five,” to triumph at the 2016 Summer Games.
Additionally, she achieved gold medals in the individual all-around, vault, and floor exercise events, and secured a bronze medal in the balance beam event. Biles proceeded to secure an unprecedented sixth U.S. all-around title in 2019 and established a new record by claiming her 25th World Championship medal later that year. Biles resumed her participation in competitive events in August 2023, following her withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a two-year hiatus from the sport.
Quick Facts
| FULL NAME | Simone Arianne Biles Owens |
| BORN | March 14, 1997 |
| BIRTHPLACE | Columbus, Ohio |
| SPOUSE | Jonathan Owens (2023-present) |
| ASTROLOGICAL SIGN | Pisces |
The Early Life of Simone Biles
Birth and Childhood
Simone Arianne Biles, born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, has established herself as a champion in her field. She and her sister, Adria, were brought up by their grandfather Ron and grandmother Nellie, following their mother’s battle with substance misuse. Ron and Nellie ultimately formalised the adoption of the two girls. Biles unearthed her exceptional talents at a young age. As stated on the official USA Gymnastics website, she went on a field trip with her day care group to a gymnastics centre.
During the tour, she observed and mimicked the actions of the other gymnasts and Coach Ronnie took notice of her. The gym issued a letter urging her participation in either tumbling or gymnastics. Shortly thereafter, Biles embarked on the path of cultivating her innate talents. According to the gymnast’s statement to CNN, Nellie consistently provided unwavering support during Biles’ ascent in the realm of competitive sports. Nellie offered encouragement and ensured that Biles did not dwell on setbacks for extended periods of time.
An Analysis of Simone Biles’ Career
Top American gymnast
Biles, with a height of 4 feet 8 inches, commenced her career as a level 8 gymnast in 2007. By 2011, she had firmly established herself as a junior elite gymnast. In that particular year, she achieved first place in the vault and balancing beam events, and secured third place in the all-around category at the American Classic.
In 2012, she achieved remarkable success by winning the vault and all-around events at prestigious competitions like as the American Classic, the Alamo Classic, the Houston National Invitational, and the Secret U.S. Classic. Biles quickly established herself as a formidable presence in the senior elite level, making a prominent entrance by winning the all-around competition at the 2013 U.S. P&G Championships. In addition, during that same year, she had a remarkable performance at the World Championships by becoming the first Black woman to secure a gold medal in the all-around event.
According to her statement to the media, this remarkable triumph certainly acted as a model for other aspiring gymnasts, as it motivated many young girls to intensify their training in the gym. Biles further enhanced her achievements in 2014 by once again securing the U.S. as well as world titles in the all-around competition. In addition, she achieved first place in the vault, floor exercise, balancing beam, and all-around events at the Secret U.S. Classic in the same year. During her floor performances, Biles frequently performs her distinctive manoeuvre: a double somersault combined with a half rotation.
In 2015, Biles achieved the distinction of being the first woman to secure her third consecutive world all-around victory, so earning a remarkable total of 10 gold medals in international competition. Regarded as one of the nation’s leading Olympic prospects, she subsequently recommenced her training for the Rio 2016 Olympics at the World Champions Centre, a facility owned by her family, located in Spring, Texas. In July 2016, Biles astounded gymnastics enthusiasts with a remarkable display, emerging victorious in the all-around competition and securing first place in both the floor exercise and vault events. She secured a position on the 2016 Olympic team alongside her fellow gymnasts Laurie Hernandez, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, and Madison Kocian.
The 2016 Olympic Games
Biles spearheaded the victory of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, securing the gold medal on August 9, 2016. She achieved a remarkable score of 15.933 in the vault, a score of 15.3 on the balancing beam, and a score of 15.8 for her captivating floor routine, during which she executed “the Biles,” her distinctive manoeuvre consisting of a double layout with a half twist. The dominant gymnast jointly achieved triumph with Raisman, Douglas, Hernandez, and Kocian, constituting a group renowned as “The Final Five.” Raisman elucidated the rationale for the team’s moniker on the Today Show: she asserted that they were dubbed the “Final Five” due to the fact that it was coach Marta Karolyi’s final Olympics, and without her guidance, their achievements would not have been attainable.
Biles expressed her desire to accomplish the task on behalf of herself, as she was present alongside her teammates consistently. The Final Five achieved the distinction of becoming the third American women’s gymnastic team to secure the gold medal, succeeding the team’s triumphs in 1996 and 2012. Biles maintained her dominance in the Olympic competition by securing the gold medal in the women’s individual all-around event. Aly Raisman, a teammate from the United States, secured the silver medal, while Aliya Mustafina, a gymnast from Russia, earned the bronze medal.
Simone Biles’ triumph was genuinely historic because she scored a margin of victory of 2.1 against Raisman, a lead that surpassed the cumulative margins of all gymnasts from 1980 to 2012. In addition, she achieved the distinction of becoming the only female athlete in the past twenty years to secure consecutive victories in both the Olympic all-around and world championships. She achieved another gold medal in the women’s individual vault competition, scoring 15.966.
However, she encountered difficulties in the individual balance beam event. Biles experienced an unusual moment of instability, but managed to regain her equilibrium, resulting in a score of 14.733, which secured her the bronze medal. Laurie Hernandez, a member of the team, earned the silver medal, while Sanne Wevers from the Netherlands claimed the gold medal.
Breaking Records at the U.S. Nationals and World Championships
Following a significant break in 2017, Biles recommenced rigorous training and reclaimed her position as the leading figure in her sport. In August 2018, she dominated all four events at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, securing victory in the competition with an impressive margin of 6.55 points. This achievement also marked her as the first woman to achieve five national all-around titles.
Biles surpassed her previous achievements the next year by successfully executing a double-double dismount off the balancing beam and being the first female gymnast to successfully perform a triple-double in the floor exercise. As a result, her victory in the U.S. championships was expected and inevitable, marking her sixth consecutive win.
In October 2019, Biles secured her fifth individual all-around gold at the World Championships, bringing her overall collection of World Championship medals to an unprecedented 25. On May 22, 2021, Biles achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first female athlete to flawlessly execute the Yurchenko double pike manoeuvre during the GK US Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana. The manoeuvre, predominantly executed by male gymnasts, involves executing a roundoff onto the springboard, accompanied by a back handspring onto the vault, culminating in a piked double backflip for the landing.
Subsequently, she successfully executed the manoeuvre at the 2023 U.S. Classic, the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, as well as the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The skill was executed by a female gymnast for the first time in an international competition, leading to the renaming of the move as the Biles II.
2020 Olympic Games Withdrawal and 2023 Return
Biles opted out of the women’s team gymnastics final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which took place in summer 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s postponement) citing mental health reasons. Following Biles’ departure, Team USA ultimately secured a silver medal. In addition, she abstained from participating in the finals for vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise, as well as the individual all-around event. However, she did compete in the balancing beam final and was awarded a bronze medal.
Simone Biles emphasised during the post-team event press conference the importance of prioritising mental wellness, as failure to do so, one will not only stop deriving pleasure from their sport, but will also not achieve the level of success they desire. Biles maintained her hiatus from the sport for a duration of two years. However, in early August 2023, she resumed her participation in competitive events at the Core Hydration Classic, formerly recognized as the U.S. Classic.
Television show; Dancing with the Stars
In 2017, Biles became a member of the cast for the 24th season of the television show Dancing with the Stars. During the season, she was partnered with professional dancer Sasha Farber. Although the Olympic champion showcased her impressive skills to the judges, she was eliminated during the semifinals in May.
Simone Biles’ Personal Life
Biles wedded NFL athlete Jonathan Owens in April 2023. The couple publicly revealed their relationship in August 2020 and formally announced their intention to marry in February 2022. Following their marriage announcement, Biles modified her social media account names to Simone Biles Owens. Presently, the couple is in a long-distance relationship as Simone resides and trains in the Houston vicinity, while Jonathan is a player for the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin.
Controversies
In January 2018, Biles disclosed on Twitter that she was among the numerous young women who had been subjected to sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar had recently received a 60-year prison term for child pornography charges and a 25 to 40-year prison sentence for criminal sexual conduct.
In August 2019, the gymnast was shocked to discover that her brother, Tevin Biles-Thomas, had been apprehended on suspicion of committing three homicides.