Before she annihilated the competition at the US Gymnastics Championships like Whitney Houston in her prime — winning by a stratospheric margin of 6.5 points — Simone Biles was already gymnastics royalty for her legendary performance at the 2016 Olympics and fearless leadership in influencing social change.
The New York Times on Twitter
Simone Biles just became the first American woman to win 5 national all-around gymnastics titles https://t.co/7cSiPEOgBI
In fact, shes undoubtedly on the Mount Rushmore of all-time gymnasts. Shes an American icon, and her Black girl magic captivated the patriotic hearts of America, then left the world speechless and overwhelmed to tears by her fortitude and flawlessness.
With Sunday nights US Gymnastics Championships win, Biles has won a combined total of 20 Olympic and World Championship medals and has more bling than any American gymnast in history, grabbing and bagging that honor from legendary gymnast Shannon Miller, the record-holder since 1993.
USA Gymnastics on Twitter
What a night for @Simone_Biles, the 2018 U.S. national all-around champion! #USGymChamps https://t.co/KKkLJGuicA
As part of the gold medal-winning US Olympics team dubbed the Final Five, Biles made Brazil her personal playground, winning a record four gold medals and ascending to a GOAT status that permanently entrenched her as one of the world’s most influential people.
A gymnastics career starts early and fizzles out quickly. Biles — knowing that she’ll probably never duplicate her near perfect run of 2016 — could have left the game on top, with her name in tact, capitalize on the marketing opportunities.
Sports Illustrated on Twitter
USA gymnastics’ Final Five gets cereal box after Rio performance https://t.co/GsXlMcTr4f
Like a boxer addicted to bloodsport, she came back for more and wants a piece of that 2020 Summer Olympics team that is looking to tear down Tokyo. Shes 21 which is almost senior citizen age for elite gymnasts and has nothing to prove, but her natural passion for the sport has led her back to the various apparatuses and prime time competition that spurned her iconic stature.
On Friday night at the US Gymnastics Championships Biles posted an all-around score of 60.100, which marks the highest score in the world since the Rio 2016 Games. It was just her second meet in two years. Nine months after returning to training after a 14-month break. She probably wasnt even at her best. It didnt matter and thats just the skinny of it, which is scary.
U.S. Olympic Team on Twitter
WOW! @Simone_Biles captured an all-around score of 60.100 on night 1 of #USGymChamps, which marks the highest score in the world since the #Rio2016 Games!
Biles is probably the most complete gymnast in history. Her competitive instinct, composure, strength and speed is incomparable. Shes precise, graceful and has mastered her entire repertoire. Shes Tiger Woods in his prime.
U.S. Olympic Team on Twitter
@Simone_Biles ended the night with highest score on balance beam… and also floor, vault AND bars. #USGymChamps #SCS2018 https://t.co/0jruWxkwuz
On Sunday night, the announcers ran out of superlatives for Biles and the ease in which she lapped the field had a Serena Williams feel to it. After Biles tackled a tough balance beam routine on her first apparatus, it was clear that she was competing against herself and a standard of dominance that shes set, which is unattainable to most humans.
NBC Olympics on Twitter
@Simone_Biles is absolutely automatic #USGymChamps https://t.co/pHhCG9Taqh
Biles ranks her Olympic performance in 2016 as an A+, but ranked her performance in these US Championships as a B + in her post ch’ip interview. Biles whupped the competition by the largest margin of victory in history and still feels a need to improve.
“I give my performance a B +,” Biles said. “I still think theres more to work on.”
Her humility is another aspect of her all-around greatness. Her bravery — speaking out against sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination in womens gymnastics as the sport recovers from the Larry Nassar scandal — makes her the face of American Gymnastics and a vehicle for social change and female empowerment.
Via NBC News, “The Olympic champion designed the leotard she wore while winning her fifth US women’s gymnastics title Sunday, all the way down to the light shade of teal. It’s the designated color for survivors of sexual abuse, a group that includes Biles, who revealed in January she was among the victims of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
“(The color) is for the survivors,” Biles said after becoming the first woman in 24 years to post the top score on every event on her way to a national championship. “I stand with all of them and I think it’s kind of special to unite (people).”
Biles has evolved into so much more than a world champion gymnast in the past two years. She’s an inspiration to millions of young women of all races, ethnicities and nationalities. who are often born being told what they can’t do rather than encouraged to pursue the endless possibilities in life.
