A full ten years after winning her first national gold, Simone Biles blasted through another historic routine to win a record eighth all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Sunday.
Just weeks after Biles returned from a two-year absence to concentrate on her mental health, the triumph in San Jose, California, solidified a dominant comeback to the top of the sport.
After winning, Biles told NBC, “It feels really special.” “I feel like I don’t focus on the numbers because I’ve been doing it for so long; instead, I think about how I perform. I believe I was successful on eight out of eight attempts. This year, I suppose, it’s a lucky number.
After her stunning floor exercise, which netted her 15.400, Biles was given a standing ovation. Both her 14.850 on the Cheng vault and the 14.8 she netted on the beam were the highest scores of the evening.
She outscored second-placed Shilese Jones by 3.9 points with an aggregate score of 118.450
It’s very incredible. Everyone in this room has faith in me, she said. “I just need to start believing in myself a little bit more, but it feels amazing, and I love the fans and the crowd,” the performer said. It was very unique.
Building on her triumph at the U.S. Classic two weeks ago, Biles continued her return to the sport at the competition. She had been away from the sport for two years after bowing out of many events at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021.
Biles shocked the gymnastics community when she withdrew from the team finals in Tokyo, citing the emotional toll of the Tokyo Games rather than a physical injury.
The mental condition known as “the twisties,” which alters a gymnast’s sense of their position in the air, was revealed by Biles to have been plaguing her.
She testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee shortly after, breaking down in tears as she described how USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar had sexually assaulted her.
She stated unequivocally that USA Gymnastics and the USOC “failed to do their jobs.”
Gymnasts have a chance to compete at the national championships to earn a spot on the national team and travel to the world championships, which will be held in Antwerp, Belgium, late next month.
With her first world title at the 2013 championships, which were also held in Antwerp, Biles propelled herself to the top of the gymnastics world almost ten years ago when she was still a teen prodigy.
The 26-year-old’s victory on Sunday made her the oldest woman to win a national title since the competition was taken over by USA Gymnastics in 1963. She also beat the record of Alfred Jochim, who had won seven titles almost 90 years ago, back when the Amateur Athletics Union ran the tournament.
She has won 25 medals at world championships, including 18 golds — higher than any men’s or women’s gymnasts in history.
But Biles remained quiet about whether she would compete in next year’s Paris Olympics.
“I like to keep them personal just so that I know what I am aiming for,” she told NBC, referring to her goals. “I’m trying to move a little bit differently this year than I have in the past. So I think it’s working so far, so I’m gonna keep it a little bit secretive.”
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