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Simone Biles Biography
Simone Biles is an American artistic gymnast whose power, difficulty and longevity have redrawn the limits of women's gymnastics. Born in Columbus, Ohio, she spent early childhood in foster care before her maternal grandfather Ron Biles and his wife Nellie adopted Simone and her younger sister Adria and raised them near Houston. A daycare field trip introduced her to gymnastics at six; with coach Aimee Boorman she rose from junior elite to the 2013 world all-around title, then repeated in 2014 and 2015 before winning four gold medals and a bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics. After a post-Rio break, she returned under Cécile and Laurent Landi to win the 2018 and 2019 world all-around titles and surpass the all-time World Championship medal record. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, a dangerous loss of air awareness known as the twisties led her to withdraw from most finals, foregrounding athlete safety and mental health; she later returned for balance-beam bronze. Biles testified before the U.S. Senate about institutional failures in the Larry Nassar abuse investigation and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022. She married NFL safety Jonathan Owens in 2023, returned to win a sixth world all-around title that year, and in Paris in 2024 won Olympic gold in the team, all-around and vault events plus floor silver. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 world medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history, while five elements in the Code of Points bear her name. She is also the author of Courage to Soar, the subject of Simone Biles Rising, creator of the Gold Over America Tour and a creative partner at Religion of Sports. In 2026 she remained on a deliberate break from gymnastics, described an LA 2028 return as a 50-50 decision, continued therapy and accepted a global ambassador role for Panam Sports and the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.
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About Simone Biles
Full name: Simone Arianne Biles Owens
Simone Biles is an American artistic gymnast whose power, difficulty and longevity have redrawn the limits of women's gymnastics. Born in Columbus, Ohio, she spent early childhood in foster care before her maternal grandfather Ron Biles and his wife Nellie adopted Simone and her younger sister Adria and raised them near Houston. A daycare field trip introduced her to gymnastics at six; with coach Aimee Boorman she rose from junior elite to the 2013 world all-around title, then repeated in 2014 and 2015 before winning four gold medals and a bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics. After a post-Rio break, she returned under Cécile and Laurent Landi to win the 2018 and 2019 world all-around titles and surpass the all-time World Championship medal record. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, a dangerous loss of air awareness known as the twisties led her to withdraw from most finals, foregrounding athlete safety and mental health; she later returned for balance-beam bronze. Biles testified before the U.S. Senate about institutional failures in the Larry Nassar abuse investigation and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022. She married NFL safety Jonathan Owens in 2023, returned to win a sixth world all-around title that year, and in Paris in 2024 won Olympic gold in the team, all-around and vault events plus floor silver. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 world medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history, while five elements in the Code of Points bear her name. She is also the author of Courage to Soar, the subject of Simone Biles Rising, creator of the Gold Over America Tour and a creative partner at Religion of Sports. In 2026 she remained on a deliberate break from gymnastics, described an LA 2028 return as a 50-50 decision, continued therapy and accepted a global ambassador role for Panam Sports and the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.
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Questions about Simone Biles
Why is Simone Biles considered the greatest gymnast of all time?
She has a record 41 combined World Championship and Olympic medals, including 23 world golds and seven Olympic golds, and five skills bear her name in the Code of Points.
Sources: USA Gymnastics · International Gymnastics Federation
How many Olympic medals has Simone Biles won?
She has won 11 Olympic medals: seven gold, two silver and two bronze.
Sources: USA Gymnastics
What did Simone Biles win at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
She won team, individual all-around and vault gold medals, plus a silver medal on floor exercise.
Sources: USA Gymnastics
Will Simone Biles compete at the 2028 Olympics?
Is Simone Biles currently training in gymnastics?
In a May 2026 interview she said she was not training gymnastics and was taking a mental and physical break, while doing yoga and Pilates for movement.
Sources: El País
Who is Simone Biles married to?
What are the twisties?
The twisties are a dangerous loss of spatial awareness in the air. Biles experienced them in Tokyo and withdrew from events because she could no longer safely predict her landings.
Sources: Netflix
Did Simone Biles write a book?
Yes. She co-authored the autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance with Michelle Burford.
Sources: Google Books / Zondervan · Zondervan
What are Simone Biles's dogs called?
Her French bulldogs are named Lilo and Rambo.
Sources: PORTER
What is Simone Biles doing in 2026?
She is on a deliberate break from gymnastics, continues therapy, is weighing LA 2028, and serves as a global ambassador for Panam Sports and the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.
Sources: CNN · El País · Panam Sports