Simone Biles Timeline

(1997 - Present)

Simone Biles is an American artistic gymnast widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1997, she rose to international fame with her extraordinary power, skill difficulty, and consistency. Biles has won multiple Olympic gold medals and a record number of World Championship medals, while also becoming an advocate for mental health awareness and athlete safety. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Early Life and Beginnings

Born in Columbus, Ohio

Mar 14, 1997

Simone Arianne Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Shanon Biles. Due to her mother's struggles with substance abuse, Simone and her siblings spent time in foster care before her maternal grandfather, Ron Biles, and his wife Nellie adopted her and raised her in Texas.

Adopted by grandparents in Spring, Texas

Jan 1, 2003

Ron and Nellie Biles formally adopted six-year-old Simone, providing her with a stable home in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas. She would later credit them with giving her the support system that enabled her gymnastics career.

Begins gymnastics training at Bannon's Gymnastix

Jan 1, 2003

During a daycare field trip, six-year-old Simone discovered gymnastics, and coaches noticed her natural ability. She soon began training at Bannon's Gymnastix under coach Aimee Boorman, who would guide her for over a decade.

Image source: Simone Biles

Switches training to World Champions Centre

Jan 1, 2014

The Biles family opened World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, giving Simone a dedicated home gym where she trained alongside other elite athletes for the rest of her career.

Image source: World Champions Centre

Publishes autobiography Courage to Soar

Nov 15, 2016

Biles released her memoir, Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, which became a New York Times bestseller and detailed her journey from foster care to Olympic glory.

Reveals she is a survivor of Larry Nassar abuse

Jan 15, 2018

Biles publicly disclosed that she was among the hundreds of athletes sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, joining teammates in speaking out and later testifying about institutional failures.

Image source: Larry Nassar

Junior Career

Wins all-around title at American Classic

Jul 23, 2011

At age 14, Biles won the all-around at the American Classic in Houston, an early sign of her dominance. She also placed third on vault and balance beam at the event.

Competes at Visa Championships as junior

Aug 10, 2011 - Aug 13, 2011

Biles finished 13th in the junior all-around at the Visa Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota, gaining valuable experience against the nation's best young gymnasts.

Wins gold at City of Jesolo Trophy

Mar 31, 2012 - Apr 1, 2012

Biles helped the U.S. junior team win gold at the City of Jesolo Trophy in Italy and placed second in the junior all-around, establishing herself as one of America's top young talents.

Wins junior national all-around title

Jun 7, 2012 - Jun 9, 2012

Biles won the junior all-around at the U.S. National Championships in St. Louis, confirming her status as the top junior gymnast in the country heading into senior competition.

Image source: USA Gymnastics National Championships

Makes senior debut at American Cup

Mar 2, 2013

In her first major international meet as a senior, 15-year-old Biles won the all-around at the American Cup in Worcester, Massachusetts, announcing her arrival on the world stage.

World Championships

Wins first U.S. senior all-around title

Aug 15, 2013 - Aug 17, 2013

Biles won her first senior national all-around championship in Hartford, Connecticut, beginning a streak of U.S. titles that would make her the most decorated American gymnast in history.

Wins all-around at first World Championships

Sep 30, 2013 - Oct 5, 2013

At the World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, 16-year-old Biles won the all-around title plus gold on floor exercise and bronze on balance beam, becoming the first American woman to win world all-around, floor, and beam medals at a single worlds since 2003.

Image source: 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Wins all-around at first World Championships

Defends world all-around title in Nanning

Oct 3, 2014 - Oct 12, 2014

Biles successfully defended her world all-around crown in Nanning, China, and added golds on balance beam and floor exercise, plus team gold with the United States.

Image source: 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Defends world all-around title in Nanning

Wins third consecutive world all-around title

Oct 23, 2015 - Nov 1, 2015

In Glasgow, Scotland, Biles became the first woman in over 60 years to win three consecutive world all-around titles. She left Glasgow with ten total world medals, including four golds.

Image source: 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Wins record fourth world all-around title

Oct 25, 2018 - Nov 3, 2018

In Doha, Qatar, Biles won her fourth world all-around title, breaking the modern record. She also claimed gold on vault, floor, and beam, and helped the U.S. win team gold despite competing through a kidney stone.

Image source: 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Wins fifth world all-around title in Stuttgart

Oct 4, 2019 - Oct 13, 2019

Biles won a record fifth world all-around championship in Stuttgart, Germany, along with team, vault, and floor golds. She debuted skills of unprecedented difficulty, including a triple-double on floor now named after her.

Lands historic triple-double in competition

Oct 5, 2019

Biles landed a triple-double (triple twisting double back) on floor exercise at the Stuttgart World Championships, becoming the first woman ever to perform the skill in competition; it was officially named the 'Biles II.'

Earns record 25th world championship medal

Oct 12, 2019

With her medal haul in Stuttgart, Biles surpassed Vitaly Scherbo's record to become the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history with 25 medals, including 19 golds.

Image source: 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Olympic Games

Named to 2016 U.S. Olympic team

Jul 10, 2016

After winning her fourth consecutive U.S. national all-around title at the Olympic Trials in San Jose, Biles was named to the five-woman 'Final Five' U.S. Olympic gymnastics team for Rio de Janeiro.

Image source: United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Wins team gold at Rio Olympics

Aug 9, 2016

Biles led the 'Final Five' to a dominant team victory in Rio de Janeiro, winning by more than eight points over Russia and delivering the United States its second consecutive Olympic team title.

Wins Olympic all-around gold

Aug 11, 2016

Biles captured the Olympic all-around title in Rio by a margin of more than two points over teammate Aly Raisman, cementing her status as the world's best gymnast.

Wins Olympic golds on vault and floor

Aug 14, 2016 - Aug 16, 2016

Biles won individual gold on both vault and floor exercise in Rio, finishing the Games with four gold medals and one bronze on beam — the most golds by any gymnast at a single Olympics.

Image source: Gymnastics at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Carries U.S. flag at Rio closing ceremony

Aug 21, 2016

Honored for her record-breaking performance, Biles served as flag bearer for Team USA at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics, the first gymnast ever chosen for the role.

Image source: 2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony

Withdraws from several Tokyo Olympic finals

Jul 27, 2021 - Aug 3, 2021

Citing the 'twisties,' a dangerous loss of air awareness, Biles withdrew from the team final and most individual finals at the Tokyo Olympics to protect her mental and physical health, sparking a global conversation about athlete wellbeing.

Image source: Simone Biles

Wins silver in team final at Tokyo Olympics

Jul 27, 2021

Despite withdrawing mid-competition after one vault, Biles's contribution helped the U.S. women earn silver in the team final behind the Russian Olympic Committee.

Image source: Gymnastics at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Returns to win bronze on balance beam in Tokyo

Aug 3, 2021

In an emotional comeback, Biles returned for the balance beam final and won bronze, bringing her career Olympic medal total to seven and capping a Games defined by courage and advocacy.

Image source: Gymnastics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's balance beam

Key Facts

Simone Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, and was raised by her grandparents in Spring, Texas.
She won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, including all-around, team, vault, and floor exercise titles.
Biles holds the record for the most World Championship medals in gymnastics history, with over 30 medals.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), she withdrew from several events to prioritize her mental health, sparking a global conversation about athlete well-being.
Several gymnastics skills are named after her because she was the first to perform them in international competition, including elements on floor, beam, and vault.

Source

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