Simone Biles has her eye on even more gold. Ten years after winning her first national title, the Olympian took home her record-breaking 8th win at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on August 27. Her newest floor routine, full of jaw-dropping twists and moves, sealed her victory as the all-around champion.
The floor routine that secured @Simone_Biles' 8th national all-around title, a feat that no American gymnast in history has done before. #XfinityChamps pic.twitter.com/yRhHxSEcY1
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 28, 2023
The newlywed sparkled in a black and silver sequin leotard for the final day of the U.S. National Championships, which took place in San Jose, California. She effortlessly nailed all of her most challenging moves during the routine. The 26-year-old is now the first gymnast in history to win 8 national championships — and the oldest. Her 8th national championship title broke a tie with Olympian Alfred Jochim.
“I think it feels really special,” Simone 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 8 for 8 [routines]. It’s 8. I guess it’s a lucky number this year.”
When asked about her personal goals with gymnastics, Simone said she was keeping them close to her chest for now. She refused to say if the 2024 Summer Olympics in 2024 was her ultimate goal.
The 26-year-old, who married NFL player Jonathan Owens in May 2023, is feeling more supported than ever after winning her latest national title. “Everybody in here believes in me,” she said, giving a shoutout to her teammates, coaches, and the crowd. “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.”
Simone is making an incredible comeback to gymnastics after a two-year break following the 2021 Summer Olympics. In Tokyo, Simone pulled out of several gymnastics events, including the final individual all-around competition. At the time, Simone was suffering from the “twisties,” a mental block that Simone told the world was the “craziest feeling ever.” She admitted that having the twisties means you “literally can not tell up from down.”
The twisties are a thing of the past now. Now that she’s won another all-around title at the U.S. National Championships, Simone has qualified for the world championships. The 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships will begin September 30 in Antwerp, Belgium.