Simone Biles is TIME's Athlete of the Year
The seven-time Olympic medallist honoured for her decision to put mental health at the forefront
Artistic Gymnastics
Four-time Olympic artistic gymnastics gold medallist Simone Biles has been named TIME magazine's Athlete of the Year for 2021. The accolade comes five months after the 24-year-old was forced to withdraw from much of the competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in which she was favoured to come home with as many as five gold medals.
Singer Olivia Rodrigo was also honoured, as TIME's Entertainer of the Year. The publication is set to name other year-end honourees this week with the reveal of its Person of the Year set for Monday, December 13.
Biles' decision to prioritise her mental health as she dealt with what gymnasts call 'the twisties' - when the mind and body fall out of sync - sparked a global conversation.
The twisties kept Biles out of three rotations of the women's team final where the U.S. captured silver and the all-around, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise individual finals. She returned to competition on artistic gymnastics' last day, winning a bronze medal on the balance beam.
“I do believe everything happens for a reason, and there was a purpose,” Biles told TIME. “Not only did I get to use my voice, but it was validated as well.”