Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport, has unlocked another milestone off the mat. The 26-year old has been nominated for her first ever People’s Choice Athlete of the Year award.
Previously, Biles had been nominated for the People’s Choice Game Changer award thrice, and won in both 2019 and 2021. For the American, this nomination comes on the heels of an incredible 2023.
This past year saw Simone Biles make a comeback to her sport after a two-year hiatus that began after the Tokyo Olympics. On her first event back, the 2023 US Classics, the gymnast looked like she’d never left.
She kicked her campaign off with multiple incredible performances, before going on to win a gold in the all-around, balance beam and floor, as well as a bronze on the uneven bars. She even debuted her Yurchenko Double Pike vault, making history as the first gymnast to ever land that move in competition.
Next up, Simone Biles displayed her prowess on the international stage, at the 2023 Antwerp Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. At the end of the competition, Biles walked away with four golds and a silver, taking her total World Championships medal to 34. This further cemented her place as the most decorated gymnast in history.While in Belgium, the American also performed the Yurchenko Double Pike vault, and had the move officially renamed the Biles II, making it the fifth skill to be named after her.
Simone Biles is joined by Coco Gauff, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Sabrina Ionescu, Stephen Curry and Travis Kelce in being nominated for the People’s Choice Athlete of the Year award.
Simone Biles named L’Équipe Champion of Champions
The People’s Choice Athlete of the Year award isn’t the only recognition that Simone Biles has achieved after her stunning year.
At the end of 2023, the American was named the L’Équipe Champion of the Champions. The award is an honor bestowed upon remarkable sports people every year by the French daily sports newspaper L’Équipe.
The French publication awards four trophies annually – the best female and male international sports athletes, and the best female and male French sports athletes.This was Biles’ fourth time winning the award, having previously taken home the trophies in 2016, 2018, and 2019. The American beat out compatriots Mikaela Shiffrin and Katie Ledecky for the honor, as the two finished second and third in L’Équipe’s “World Champion of Champions rankings”.
