Simone Biles has done it again! The 27-year-old gymnastics icon, already hailed as the most decorated gymnast of all time, has been named Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Sportsperson of the Year.
The Sportsperson of the Year award follows an outstanding performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Biles showcased her reputation as a formidable competitor. She secured four additional medals to her already remarkable collection, excelling in the team, all-around, vault, and floor exercise events.
Her Olympic medal count reached 11 with these achievements, placing her among the top female gymnasts in Olympic history, per the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
SI announced Biles as the recipient of the honor on Thursday. And Travis Hunter, the standout Colorado football player and 2024 Heisman Trophy recipient, was recognized as the Breakout Star of the Year.
“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,” featured in an article about Biles by the magazine. “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.”
In an interview with Good Morning America, Biles expressed her excitement and humility about receiving the accolade. “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,” she said. Despite her unparalleled success, Biles revealed that she still finds herself surprised by such recognition. “I feel like I’m always shocked winning any sort of award or being honored,” she admitted with her signature modesty.
Additional honorees consist of Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, who is receiving the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, and NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman, who has been recognized as the first Innovator of the Year award recipient.
She is the first athlete to receive the Sportsperson of the Year award since 2012 when LeBron James guided the U.S. men’s basketball team to a gold medal at the London Games; the same year, he claimed the NBA MVP award, Finals, and Finals MVP.
Simone Biles is to accept the 2024 Sportsperson of the Year award in person on January 7, during Sports Illustrated’s yearly awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
