SAN JOSE, California- As Simon Biles, 26, won her eighth national title at the US Gymnastics Championships on Sunday, August 27, she broke two records. In addition to being the oldest woman to ever win the tournament, the American gymnast is now the first and only individual to hold eight titles, surpassing Alfred Jochim’s record of holding seven all-around gold medals in 1933.
After a two-year break and suffering from “twisties,” a mental block that prevents gymnasts from performing any spins for manoeuvres, Biles went into the competition headstrong and even flashed a smile midway into her daring floor routine that culminated in a sure landing on her signature move, the “Biles I” tumbling pass of double layout with a half-twist.
With her final event of the competition, which earned a score of 15.400 for a successful all-around total of 118.450 points, she brought cheering spectators to their feet.
Biles won by finishing 3.9 points ahead of Shilese Jones, the all-around silver medalist from the previous year’s global championships, with 114.550 points. This was closely followed by Leanne Wong, who finished third with 111.100 points.
“It feels really special,” Biles told NBC after her win. “I’ve been doing it for so long, I feel like I don’t think about numbers, I think about my performance. And I think, overall, I hit eight for eight. I guess it’s a lucky number this year.”
Biles also expressed her gratitude to her fans for always believing in her:
“It’s really amazing. Everybody in here believes in me,” she said. “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 was really special.”
When asked about her personal goals, Biles opted not to elaborate and gave the following statement:
“I like to keep (my goals) personal, just so that I know what I’m aiming for,” Biles said. “I think it’s better that way. I’m trying to move a little bit differently this year than I have in the past. I think it’s working so far, so I’m going to keep it secretive.”