Simone Biles, the Greatest Gymnast Ever

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Biles almost swept this year’s competition in Stuttgart, Germany, winning five out of a possible six gold medals (she finished fifth on the uneven bars). Her world championship medals, 19 of them gold, give her two more than Vitaly Scherbo of Belarus, who held the record for more than two decades. Including the Olympics, Biles ranks third all-time internationally with 30 medals, and she’s still the most decorated American gymnast in history.

This year the International Gymnastics Federation also officially named two skills after her: a double-twisting, double-backflip balance beam dismount and a double backflip with three twists in the floor exercise. (There’s also a Biles vault and a second Biles floor move.) She’ll lead the U.S. women’s team next year at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo—her second games and, she says, her last.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bret Begun at bbegun@bloomberg.net, Jeremy Keehn

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.