Challenges Faced by Simone Biles: Obstacles and Turning Points

Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Simone Biles. A timeline of obstacles and growth.

Simone Biles is an American artistic gymnast recognized as one of the greatest and most decorated of all time. With 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals, she holds the record for the most medals won in gymnastics history. Biles is tied for the second-most decorated female Olympic gymnast. Her skill and athleticism have solidified her place as a dominant figure in the sport.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

2013: Poor Performance at U.S. Classic and Sports Psychologist Consultation

In July 2013, Simone Biles performed poorly at the U.S. Classic, falling several times and twisting her ankle. Following this, she consulted a sports psychologist who helped her with anxiety and confidence issues.

2014: Previous record margins of victory

In late October 2018, at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, Simone Biles went to the emergency room for a kidney stone but competed the next day, qualifying for multiple finals. She successfully performed a new vault, which was named 'The Biles.' The US also qualified for the team final in first place. During the team final, Biles competed on all four events, recording the highest score of any competitor on vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise. The U.S. team won the gold medal with a score of 171.629, 8.766 points ahead of second-place Russia, beating previous margin of victory records set in the open-ended code of points era at the 2014 World Championships (6.693) and 2016 Rio Olympics (8.209).

September 2016: Disclosure of ADHD and Medication Use

In September 2016, following a hack into the World Anti-Doping Agency by the Russian cyber espionage group Fancy Bear, Simone Biles's medical information was released, leading to accusations of doping. Consequently, Biles disclosed on Twitter that she has ADHD and takes medication for it under a therapeutic use exemption, receiving widespread support for her openness.

2016: Past performances in the 2016 Summer Olympics

In 2016, Simone Biles had shaky performances in the event finals at the Summer Olympics.

2016: Previous record margins of victory

May 15, 2017: Elimination from Dancing with the Stars

On May 15, 2017, Simone Biles and her partner Sasha Farber were eliminated from season 24 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in fourth place one week before the finals.

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September 2017: Disclosure of ADHD diagnosis

In September 2017, Simone Biles spoke about having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) after her medical records were leaked online, revealing that she had been taking Ritalin (methylphenidate) to treat the condition during the Olympics.

2017: difficulty value of the new vault

In late October 2018, at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, Simone Biles went to the emergency room for a kidney stone but competed the next day, qualifying for multiple finals. She successfully performed a new vault, which was named 'The Biles.' After successfully performing the vault she premiered at the selection camp, it was named the Biles in the Code of Points, and given a difficulty value of 6.4 (for the 2017–2020 Code of Points), which was tied with the Produnova for the most difficult women's vault ever competed.

January 18, 2018: Biles reveals abuse by Larry Nassar

On January 18, 2018, Simone Biles publicly stated that she was sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics physician, and accused USA Gymnastics of covering it up.

2018: Past performances in the 2018 World Championships

In 2018, Simone Biles had shaky performances in the event finals at the World Championships.

2020: 2020 Summer Olympics

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from most of the competition after the qualification round due to "the twisties". She won a silver medal with the U.S. team nicknamed the "Fighting Four".

2020: difficulty value of the new vault

In late October 2018, at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, Simone Biles went to the emergency room for a kidney stone but competed the next day, qualifying for multiple finals. She successfully performed a new vault, which was named 'The Biles.' After successfully performing the vault she premiered at the selection camp, it was named the Biles in the Code of Points, and given a difficulty value of 6.4 (for the 2017–2020 Code of Points), which was tied with the Produnova for the most difficult women's vault ever competed.

July 28, 2021: Biles withdraws from the individual all-around competition

On July 28, 2021, Simone Biles withdrew from the finals of the individual all-around competition at the Olympics, citing mental health concerns.

September 15, 2021: Biles testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee

On September 15, 2021, Simone Biles testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, blaming "the entire system" for enabling Larry Nassar's crimes, emphasizing the failures of USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Three of her national-team teammates, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Aly Raisman, testified with her.