Simone Biles Sets US Gymnastics Record After Winning 8th Title A Decade After Her First

Aug 28, 2023

Simone Biles is a superstar in the gymnastics world in her own right. One of America’s most decorated athletes, she is the proud winner of seven Olympic and 25 World Championship medals, of which 18 are gold. Her popularity soared during her astounding performances at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where she picked up gold medals in the vault, floor, and all-around portions of the competition. 

In 2012, Biles switched from public school to home school to focus on her gymnastics skills and training. She reportedly spent anywhere from 20 to 30 hours a week practicing gymnastics. She graduated from home school in 2015 and went on to verbally commit to attending the University of California in Los Angeles. However, she eventually decided to take her gymnastics to the professional level and hasn’t looked back since.

Biles is also an advocate for mental health. While she participated in competitions that aided the United States in qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she eventually withdrew from the sporting event. Although her decision shocked many, it wasn’t a surprise. Shortly before that time, the athlete posted on Instagram that she felt like she had “the weight of the world” on her shoulders. Biles was just 14 years old when she stepped into the spotlight, and she hasn’t lost a single competition since 2013. She was always expected to lead her team to victory, which made her statement unexaggerated. 

Biles got help and paved the way for other athletes to regain control of their bodies. She also returned to the sport in better shape and won her record 8th US Gymnastics title on August 27, 2023, ten years after her first title. Keep reading for the details. 

Biles has excelled in her career, underscoring her resilience and passion for the sport, considering the hardship she experienced as a child. She was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. According to Sky News, her mom would rather feed a stray cat than her children, leaving the kids hungry. 

“She always fed it but she never fed us,” Biles said.

Biles and her three siblings were eventually taken from their mom, who had drug and alcohol issues, and placed in the foster care system. In 2003, her maternal grandparents adopted Biles and her younger sister after they found out their grandchildren were in foster care. Biles’s aunt adopted the older two children. 

The gymnastics star and her siblings reunited with their family members and are close. She surprised many in November 2022 after she uploaded a photo of herself cuddling a newborn child. Many immediately assumed the child was hers and that she had hidden her pregnancy over the past few months. 

However, it turned out that the infant was her niece, born to her brother Ron. She captioned the post, “My precious little niece made her debut friday. I’m so proud to be your TT & I’m excited to spoil you! 🎀👶🏽”

The gymnast has also mastered the art of letting go when necessary. 

“I say put mental health first. Because if you don’t, then you’re not going to enjoy your sport and you’re not going to succeed as much as you want to,” Biles said when she withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics. “So it’s OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are — rather than just battle through it,” she concluded.

The 18-time gold medallist’s decision to pull out of the Olympics and focus on her mindfulness paid off. On August 27, 2023, she won her 8th US Gymnastics title, ten years after she won her first title at 16. Biles’ achievement crowned her as the sport’s reigning champion and broke her tie with Alfred Jochim, who previously held the record for seven titles.

Biles, 26, posted an all-around two-day total of 118.40, with four points ahead of runner-up Shilese Jones. Leanne Wong, seeking a spot in the US Olympics gymnastics team, came third, upping her chances. 

The award-winning star nailed every tumbling pass to the delight of the audience, of which a large portion gave her a standing ovation.  

“It just doesn’t feel real for some reason,” Biles said of her spectacular performance.

Biles, who had always been fixated on the next event, also shared that she is determined to enjoy her victories and be happy now. 

She explained, “We really try to celebrate our success individually and as a team just so that in a couple of years you can remember this because I really don’t remember a lot from the past.”

Biles is the oldest woman to win a national title since the first USA Gymnastics event was held in 1963. Usually, elite gymnasts at her age hold on to the memories of what was. However, Biles had the best floor routine in the finals since her coach, Laurent Landi, started working with her. 

Although Biles tweaked her right ankle while drilling her electric Yurchenko double pike vault two days before, she had an impressive run on the last night. She received the highest score for the Cheng vault, 14.850; the highest for the beam, 14.8, and the same on floor, 15.400.

 What do you think of Bile’s impressive run at the US Gymnastics Championships? Have you seen any of her videos? Let us know and pass this on to fans of Simone Biles, who her story and performance would inspire.