Over the past decade, Simone Biles has gone from gymnastics wunderkind to Olympic gold medalist to U.S. sports icon.
And this summer, she’s back in the spotlight, looking to add to her Olympic medal haul with a strong performance at the 2024 Paris Games.
Here’s everything you need to know about Biles.
Is Simone Biles competing tonight?
Yes! Biles will make her 2024 debut at the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, competing alongside fellow Olympic all-around gold medalists Gabby Douglas and Suni Lee. It’s the first time a meet has had three Olympic champions. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
How to watch Simone Biles as U.S. Classic
Biles’ portion of the event will be televised live on CNBC and Peacock, which is NBC’s streaming service. NBC will also run a show recapping all the highlights from the U.S. Classic at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Will Simone Biles compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics? Has she qualified?
Technically speaking, Biles has not yet been named to Team USA for the Paris Olympics. But based on her track record and the subjectivity within the selection process, she will almost certainly be there — and she’ll be favored to win another all-around gold medal.
Where does Simone Biles train?
Biles trains at the World Champions Centre, a facility in the Houston suburbs that her family opened after the Rio Olympics. Her parents, Ron and Nellie Biles, still own the gym.
Who is Simone Biles’ coach?
Biles has two coaches: Cecile and Laurent Landi, who have led the elite team at WCC since 2017. Biles has a particularly close relationship with Cecile Landi, who represented France at the 1996 Olympics and is set to take over as co-head coach of the University of Georgia’s gymnastics program following the Paris Games.
Who is Simone Biles’ husband?
Biles is married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, who is currently a safety for the Chicago Bears. They celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary earlier this year.
What gymnastics moves are named after Simone Biles?
In the International Gymnastics Federation’s current code of points, there are five: Two each on floor exercise and vault, and one on balance beam. Biles’ got her latest skill, the Biles II on vault, after she landed the Yurchenko double pike vault at last fall’s world championships. (Skills in gymnastics are named after the first person to land them in a major international event.)
Are there Simone Biles scoring restrictions?
In a way, yes. The international federation’s technical committee has previously undervalued some of the skills that Biles has landed in competition, explaining that they could be too dangerous for other gymnasts to attempt.
“In assigning values to the new elements, the (technical committee) takes into consideration many different aspects; the risk, the safety of the gymnasts and the technical direction of the discipline,” the committee said in a statement about one of Biles’ skills in 2019.
Biles’ supporters have argued that such undervaluing punishes Biles for safely completing skills that few other gymnasts can do.
Simone Biles vault: What’s her best ever vault?
When you think of the best, her Yurchenko double pike, now known as the Biles II, at last year’s national championships immediately comes to mind. It was massive and she landed it without even a wiggle or wobble. Her feet were slightly apart, but the judges gave it a well-deserved 9.8 execution score, which is almost unheard of for a vault.
