Ballerific Women: Simone Biles Becomes Most Decorated U.S. Gymnast

Black. Girl. Magic.

Simone Biles has officially cemented her legacy as the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history.

On Tuesday, the 27-year-old superstar clinched her eighth Olympic medal alongside her teammates—Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera—by winning gold in the team final at the 2024 Paris Games. This victory pushed Biles past former American gymnast Shannon Miller, who held the previous record with seven medals across the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games.

But that’s not all. Biles’ latest medal also marks her 38th between the Olympics and World Championships, an unprecedented achievement for any gymnast, male or female. Despite the monumental achievement, Biles remains unfazed, in a press conference following her win saying, “Honestly, I would have had to Google that. I don’t keep count; I don’t keep stats. I just go out here and do what I’m supposed to, and I’m doing what I love and enjoying it, so that’s really all that matters to me.”

She added, “Yes, it’s amazing, now that I hear it, but I don’t think I’ll truly understand the depth of it until I walk away from the sport.”

This win is particularly significant as it marks a triumphant return for Biles, who had to withdraw from the same event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the “twisties,” a mental block that affects a gymnast’s spatial awareness during flips.

Simone Biles now holds five Olympic gold medals, one silver, and two bronze, further solidifying her status as the greatest gymnast of all time.