It marks the third time Biles has earned the honour from the Associated Press, with the 26-year-old American gearing up for an Olympic return at Paris 2024.(Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Simone Biles just keeps winning – even in the off-season. The four-time Olympic gold medallist in artistic gymnastics has been named the 2023 Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in the U. S., voted on by a panel of sports media professionals. It marks the third time Biles has claimed the award, after winning it following the Rio 2016 season as well as in 2019. But this is arguably the most significant for the now-26-year-old, who was open about her mental health struggles during Tokyo 2020 in 2021 and left the sport for a hiatus before her glittering return this season. She announced her comeback in June, then went on to win her eighth individual all-around at the U. S. Championships in August before a sweeping return to the world stage in Antwerp in October, claiming a sixth World Championship title in the all-around, while adding team, floor exercise and balance beam golds, too. She now has 30 world medals in total – 23 of them gold – and appears to be moving full steam ahead toward the Olympic Summer Games Paris 2024.”I will always get to do whatever I want to do after my career is over,” Biles told Olympics.com’s Scott Bregman in an exclusive interview earlier this season. “But I won’t be able to do my career forever.”Biles becomes the sixth woman to win the AP award for a third time, joining the likes of Serena Williams and Annika Sorenstam, among others. She beat out basketball star Caitlin Clark and Aitana Bonmatí, the Spanish footballer who led her team to the Women’s World Cup title, for the 2023 honour. More Simone 1-on-1: On letting go and having no regretsSimone Biles on finding balance in the gym and lifeSimone Biles: The full, uncut exclusive interview on her comebackAdd these to your favouritesSimone BILESArtistic GymnasticsUSAMore fromYou may like
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