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Simone Biles

Artistic gymnast

Born 1997

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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ConnectionJonathan OwensHusband; NFL safety and a central part of her current support system.

ConnectionRon and Nellie BilesParents who adopted and raised Simone and Adria and later founded World Champions Centre.

ConnectionAdria BilesYounger sister, adopted and raised alongside Simone.

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