Who is Simone Biles? Get to know the star Team USA gymnast

She’s the star of USA Gymnastics.

Author:
Chris Chavez
Publish date:
Aug 9, 2016

After becoming the first woman in history to win three consecutive world all-around titles, Simone Biles is poised to solidify herself as the best gymnast in the world. Rio 2016 marks her debut at the Olympics.

Get to know the gold-medal favorite below.

Olympics preview: U.S., Simone Biles projected favorites in women’s gymnastics

Quick facts

Nationality: USA

Birthday: March 14, 1997 (19)

Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio

Hometown: Spring, Texas

Height: 4'9"

Weight: 105 lbs.

Twitter:@Simone_Biles

Instagram:@simonebiles

What has she accomplished?

Biles was too young to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London and missed out on a chance to be a member of the Fierce Five that took home the all-around team gold. She is the most decorated American gymnast of all-time with 14 total world championship medals, including the gold medals in the all-around from the 2013, 2014 and 2015 world championships. Ten of her 14 medals are gold. She has not lost an all-around title since 2013. Biles also made history as the first African-American to win a world championship all-around title.

Almost everyone agrees she’s the best gymnast in the world. Mary Lou Retton has called her the best gymnast ever.

How she qualified for the Olympics

Biles's resume speaks for itself, and she was an easy choice to make for national team coordinator Márta Károlyi. Biles opened her 2016 campaign with a victory at the Pacific Rim Championships in April.

At the Gym with Simone Biles

Highlights

Here's Biles winning all-around from 2013:

And 2014...

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dUGTgSxDNI]

And 2015.

Critical acclaim from past Olympic greats

Nastia Liuken to USA Today: “You can't really compare her to anybody. It's funny because I think that's probably the way she wants it. I'm sure she would love to accomplish the same things that Gabby did or I was able to do four years before London, that Mary Lou had done, that Carly had done. I think she's not like the next somebody. She is Simone Biles, and she is the first Simone Biles.”

Mary Lou Retton to John Powers: “She’s in a class all by herself. Honestly, she’s just untouchable. She can have a couple of falls and still beat everybody. If she goes into the Games healthy, I think she’s unbeatable.”