Simone Biles

Simone Arianne Biles, /sI'moUn/baI@lz/ was born March 14 in 1997. Her seven Olympic medals are tied with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast, and she is equal to ninth overall. Biles has won 25 World Championship medals, she is the most decorated gymnast to ever compete in the Gymnastics World Championships and is considered by many sources to be the most successful gymnast ever. In 2022, Biles was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Biles won individual gold medals in the vault, all-around, and floor; bronze medals on balance beam and gold as part of the United States team, dubbed the "Final Five".At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in Japan, where Biles was expected to take home at least four of the six gold medals. She was forced to withdraw from the majority of the contest due to difficulties with "the twisties", the temporary loss of balance. She ultimately won an Olympic silver medal for the US team, and bronze on balance beam. The judges were impressed with the partial withdrawal she had made, her mental and physical health focus, perseverance and determination to remain in good health. She also has five times as a World all around champion (2013-15, 2018-19), five-time World floor exercises champion (2013-15 and 2018-19) and three-time World balance beam champion (2014-15, 2019), two time World vault champion (1918-19) 2021), seven-time United States all-around champ (2013-16 2018, 2018-19, 2021) and a member of the gold medalists on the American team in the 2014 2015, 2018 and 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics championships. She was also a World silver medalist in vault and balance beam (2013 and 2014), as well as three-time World bronze medalist in vault (2015 2013, 2013 and in 2018 on bars that are uneven). Biles is the World's most accomplished gymnast (25) and the World's most gold-medalled (19). Biles has just surpassed Vitaly Scherbo, who holds the record for the most World medals. Biles won both 24th and 25th gold medals in the 2019 Stuttgart competition in Stuttgart. Biles holds the record for the most all-around World titles (5). She is the sixth person to receive an individual all-around title during the Olympics and World Championships. Biles is the tenth American female gymnast and the first American female gymnast to be awarded an individual World medal for every event, and she was the first female gymnast, since Daniela Silivas (1988), to win an award at each Olympic Games or World Championships. Biles was the third child of four siblings, born in Columbus, Ohio on March 14th in 1997. All four children were put in foster care. Biles' maternal grandfather Ron Biles and Nellie Cayetano Biles became aware that Shanon was in foster care. They began caring for Shanon's children temporarily in Spring, Texas in 2000. The couple adopted Simone and Adria, her younger sister in 2003. Ron's sister Shanon and Shanon's aunt Harriet, adopted their two children. Biles is a Belizean citizen because of her adoptive mother and considers Belize her second home. Biles as well as her family members are Catholic.