Simone Biles

Biography

Biles didn't just win — she expanded her sport's vocabulary, with five skills bearing her name because few others dare attempt them. Her withdrawal mid-Tokyo Olympics in 2021 to protect her mental health, and her triumphant Paris return, reshaped how elite sport talks about pressure.

American gymnast whose difficult, original skills — several named after her — reset the ceiling of her sport.

Known for

The most decorated gymnast in world championship history.

Notable works & defining projects

• Rio 2016 all-around gold
• Paris 2024 comeback titles
• Skills named 'The Biles' (multiple apparatus)

Notable achievements

• The most decorated gymnast in history, with 30 World Championship medals and 11 Olympic medals in total as of Paris 2024
• Has five gymnastics skills named after her in the Code of Points
• Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2022)

Timeline

1. 2013Won her first world all-around title in Antwerp
2. 2016Won four gold medals at the Rio Olympics
3. 2024Returned in Paris to win three more golds at 27, an age once considered past a gymnast's prime

Did you know?

• She was introduced to gymnastics on a daycare field trip at age six and was spotted copying moves at the gym
• She and her sister Adria were adopted by their grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles