Simone Biles: US gymnastic champion in action at Paris Olympics - how many medals, what happened in Tokyo?

The 27-year-old multi medal-winning Olympic champion is set to take to the floor once again this evening (August 1) as she competes for another title in the individual all-around final. The Team USA member will kick off her individual gold hopes at around 5.15pm UK time.

Biles has risen to become one of the biggest names at the Olympic Games over the years, with celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Nicole Kidman and Serena Williams among the crowd clamouring to catch a glimpse of this special athlete. But where did Biles get her start, and how many medals has she won so far? Here’s everything you need to know about the US’s most decorated Olympic gymnast.

Where did Simone Biles grow up?

Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio on March 14, 1997, the third of four siblings. The children were placed in and our of foster care during their early years after their mother, Shannon, was unable to care for them.

In 2003, Ron Biles, Simone’s maternal grandfather, and his wife Nellie adopted Simone and her sister Adria and moved them to Texas, while the two eldest siblings were adopted by her mother’s aunt.

Biles’ love of gymnastics began at the age of six, when she took part in a day class before being told by trainers that she should continue in the sport. She attended elementary school in Harris County, Texas, before moving to a home-schooling schedule in high school to allow her to increase her gymnastic training hours.

How many Olympic medals has Simone Biles won?

In her stunning career so far, Biles has won five Olympic gold medals, one silver, and two bronze. She shined at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where she bagged gold in four events - team, all-around, vault and floor exercise. Her fifth gold came in 2024 for the team event.

Alongside her Olympic glory, Biles has bagged a staggering 30 World Championship medals. Her athletic achievements were even recognised by US President Joe Biden, who awarded Biles the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.

What happened to Simone Biles in Tokyo?

Biles shocked the world at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she withdrew from several events at the games, and proceeded to take a two-year hiatus from the sport as a whole. It came after she suffered from a mental block known to gymnasts as the “twisties”.

The “twisties” is a mental block that leaves gymnasts unable to gage their spatial awareness mid-air, rending them almost unable to compete in major events. Biles withdrew from the individual all-team final after suffering during the Tokyo team final, telling reporters that she had to “focus on my mental health”.

Her mental block came after she came forward as a victim of former USA Gymnastics doctor and convicted child rapist Larry Nassar in 2018. Biles alleged that Nassar had sexually assaulted her and that USA Gymnastics had allowed the abuse to continue. He would eventually be convicted of assaulting at least 265 young women and girls under the guise of medical treatment while working with USA Gymnastics.

Biles has spoken about her return to the Olympic stage in Paris as her “redemption”, having already gained gold in the team event.