Biles takes Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for third time

Simone Biles has been declared the Associated Press (AP) Female Athlete of the Year for 2023, marking her third receipt of this honor. The 26-year-old former Olympian recently returned to competition after a two-year hiatus following the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021.

The AP reported that Biles announced her return to gymnastics in July at a competition in suburban Chicago, an event that was followed by her winning two championships. There were doubts about whether she could still perform at her previous level after such a long break from the sport, but Biles chose to demonstrate rather than verbalize her capabilities.

According to further reports from the AP, Biles, a resident of Spring, a northern suburb of Houston, outperformed Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark and Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati of the World Cup champion Spanish soccer team in the voting process for the award. After contributing to America's medal tally in Japan two years prior, Biles took time off to prioritize her mental health, which she says was impacted by "the twisties." Many of her accolades were achieved when she was still a teenager.

During her hiatus from gymnastics, Biles married National Football League (NFL) defensive back Jonathan Owens, as reported by Houston Daily. Citing People magazine, Houston Daily revealed early last year that Biles and Owens publicly confirmed their relationship in August 2020 while she was in Japan for the Olympics. The publication also stated that the couple had tied the knot in a civil ceremony at a county courthouse.