What does it take to be called the greatest? For Simone Biles, it’s not just gold medals and jaw-dropping routines—it’s resilience, authenticity, and redefining what strength means in sports. In 2024, she wasn’t just flipping through the air; she flipped the narrative, coming back stronger than ever. And guess what? Sports Illustrated noticed. That’s why Simone Biles is their 2024 Sportsperson of the Year—a title she wears like the true champion she is.
American gymnast Simone Biles has added another title to her resume. The 11-time Olympic medalist was named Thursday by Sports Illustrated as its 2024 Sportsperson of the Year. “Honestly, it is such a huge honor. I know some of the greats that have won it in prior years, so to just keep gymnastics on the map is really exciting,” Biles, 27, told “Good Morning America” of the Sports Illustrated accolade. “I know a lot of people love the sport of gymnastics during an Olympic year and have followed my career closely, but I was still very shocked.” She continued, “I feel like I’m always shocked winning any sort of award or being honored.” The Sportsperson of the Year award comes after a year in which Biles took the 2024 Paris Olympics by storm, adding four new medals to her collection in team, all-around, vault and floor exercise.
After her performance in Paris, Biles, 27, is now tied for the second-most decorated female gymnast in Olympic history, according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Biles won three gold medals and a silver medal in Paris just a few years after withdrawing from the team final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she suffered from “the twisties,” a disorienting condition when a gymnast’s mind and body feel dangerously out of sync.
What to know about Simone Biles’ parents, siblings and husband Jonathan Owens. “Simone Biles is Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Sportsperson of the Year because she won gold, and then another gold, and then another; because she changed the face of her sport and the conversations around athletes in general; because she continues to speak out about issues that matter to her,” the magazine wrote of Biles. “And perhaps most of all because after she wondered aloud to [teammate Jordan] Chiles whether she was about to relive the darkest period of her career, she took a deep breath, she saluted the judges and she broke into a run.”
Biles will receive the 2024 Sportsperson of the Year award in person on Jan. 7, when Sports Illustrated holds its annual awards ceremony in Las Vegas. Jonathan Owens honors Simone Biles with gymnast’s celebration after big play. This year’s ceremony, held at Wynn Las Vegas, will be hosted by actor Keegan-Michael Key. Sports Illustrated has awarded its Sportsperson of the Year award annually since 1954. In 2023, the award was presented to University of Colorado head football coach and former NFL star Deion
Simone Biles didn’t just earn this title—she embodied it. In a year when the world needed resilience, hope, and strength, she brought it all. With flips, flair, and fierce honesty, Simone reminded us what greatness truly looks like. Sanders.
