Simone Biles, the 26-year-old American and four-time Olympic gold medalist, gearing up for an Olympic return at Paris 2024, has been named the 2023 Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in the U.S. The honour was voted on by a panel of sports media professionals.
This marks the third time Biles has claimed the award, having previously won it following the Rio 2016 season and in 2019. However, this recognition is arguably the most significant for the now-26-year-old, who openly shared her mental health struggles during Tokyo 2020 in 2021 and took a hiatus from the sport before her remarkable comeback this season.
In June, she announced her return and subsequently secured her eighth individual all-around title at the U.S. Championships in August. Her stellar comeback continued on the world stage in Antwerp in October, where she claimed her sixth World Championship title in the all-around, in addition to gold medals in team, floor exercise, and balance beam events.
With a total of 30 world medals, 23 of which are gold, Biles is showing unwavering determination as she heads full steam ahead towards the Olympic Summer Games in Paris 2024.
“I will always have the freedom to choose what I want to do after my career is over,” Biles shared in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com’s Scott Bregman earlier this season. “But I can’t continue my career indefinitely.”
Biles now joins the ranks of six women who have won the AP award for a third time, alongside notable names like Serena Williams and Annika Sorenstam, among others. She emerged victorious over basketball star Caitlin Clark and Aitana Bonmatí, the Spanish footballer who led her team to the Women’s World Cup title, to claim the prestigious 2023 honour.
