Photo Courtesy of Simone Biles / Instagram
Record-breaker Simone Biles made history on Sunday at the U.S. gymnastics national championships in San Jose, CA, winning her eighth national all-around title — carrying her to the top for holding the most among men and females.
According to the Olympics, Biles broke the 90-year-old record she once shared with the former titleholder Alfred Jochim. The 26-year-old also became the oldest woman to obtain the U.S. all-around garland.
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Sunday’s championship was only Biles’ second competition since she returned after taking a hiatus to care for her mental health after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Biles reigned during the women’s all-around with a 118.450 score. Seattle-born silver-medalist Shilese Jones came in second with 114.550 (both powerful Black women athletes). Leanne Wong, the 2021 World all-around silver medallist, landed in third place for a bronze medal after scoring 111.100.
Biles spoke with NBC at the event, sharing her gratitude for the support she has from her fans, teammates, coaches and family.
“It’s really amazing,” she told NBC. “Everybody in here believes in me, and my teammates believe in me, my coaches, my family, everyone. So, I just need to start believing in myself a little bit more. But it feels amazing. And I love the fans. I love the crowd. It’s really special.”
Subsequent to her step back from competing after the Tokyo Olympics, the GOAT returned to the sport she loves on Saturday, Aug. 5, where she took first place for the women’s all-around with a 59.1 score, per a News Onxy report.
“I always kind of knew [that I would come back] as soon as everything that happened in Tokyo,” she told reporters after her return. “I feel grateful that I get this opportunity to come back out here and compete in front of a crowd because I truly didn’t believe I’d be back here competing at all.”
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