Simone Biles named 2023 AP Female Athlete of the Year, her 3rd time claiming award
Bookending her legendary comeback from a two-year break, seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles is the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 2023.
The 26-year-old earned the title for the third time in her career through a vote by a panel of sports media professionals. Biles previously claimed the honor in 2016 and 2019. Caitlin Clark, Iowa's basketball star who broke out during the NCAA tournament last season, followed Biles in votes this year. Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, who shined en route to Spain's World Cup victory in August, was third.
Biles announced her plans to return to gymnastics in July and almost immediately proceeded to stack up accolades. From winning a historic eighth all-around title at U.S. championships to winning her 20th world championship title, she seemed unstoppable.
The path to each impressive accomplishment featured unexpected feats, all contributing to the advancement of her legend. It was fitting for her triumph to culminate at world championships, as the competition took place in Belgium — in the same arena where she won her first world all-around title a decade earlier.
At world championships, Biles became the first woman to do the Yurchenko double pike, leading to the vault being named for her. In winning her sixth all-around title at worlds, she became the most decorated gymnast in history.
All of this came after Biles withdrew from multiple finals at the end of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to her experience with "the twisties," a dangerous condition that prevented her from determining her location in the air. The decision to prioritize her safety was applauded by some and criticized by others.
In the aftermath, she went into what she describes as a “protective shell.” She opened up about her hiatus with the Associated Press, describing her experience with therapy and finding balance during the time away.
As evidenced by her sharing a photo of her wedding to Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens on Instagram in response to a prompt of her "best moment of 2023," Biles now views her gymnastics accomplishments as a bonus.
“At the end of the day I did worlds and all that stuff, but I did get married, I got to support him,” she told the AP. “It’s just like, it’s kind of nice that gymnastics isn’t the main revolving piece.”
While she has nothing left to prove as the GOAT of gymnastics, Biles has expressed her desire to participate in the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
