- 1440 Daily Digest
Simone Biles Returns
Seven-time Olympic gymnastics medalist Simone Biles will participate in this year's US Classic, her first competition since stepping back from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to a persistent disorientation known as "the twisties."
Biles, 26, shot to fame in 2013 after winning two gold medals at the world championships as a 16-year-old and has since earned 25 world medals, a record for all gymnasts (see bio). At the Rio Olympics in 2016, the 4-foot-8-inch Ohioan became the first female US gymnast to win four gold medals at a single Olympics; her athletic prowess led to the creation of four new moves named after her. She became the youngest person to receive the US Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.
Her sudden decision mid-Olympics not to compete in three core events in 2021 drew international focus to the mental health of athletes. In the same year, Biles testified at a Senate panel investigating the FBI's alleged failure to hold gymnastics coach Larry Nassar accountable for sexual assault claims.