Latest news with #LaureusWorldSportswomanoftheYear
CNA
01-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
American athletes will relish LA Olympic 'home Games', says Felix
LOS ANGELES :American athletes at the Los Angeles Games in 2028 will have the rare opportunity to compete at an Olympics on home soil and those considering retirement may not be able to resist sticking around for the chance, Olympic legend Allyson Felix said. Felix, the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time, has few regrets about an Olympic career that spanned five Games but said never getting the chance to lace up her spikes in the U.S. is one. "What I would have loved most is to have a home Games," Felix, an L.A. native and now an LA28 board member, told Reuters. "We've worked really hard to bring the Games back to L.A. and more than anything, I'm excited the athletes have this opportunity to be on full display in America. That's huge. "I'm excited for Angelinos and the rest of the world too. We get to welcome them in and they get to see the Games up close." Gymnast Simone Biles said last week she had not yet decided whether to compete in what would be her fourth Games as she picked up her Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award in Madrid. Seven-time Olympic champion Biles saw first-hand the passionate reception French gymnasts received every time they were announced at the Bercy Arena during last year's Paris Games and it remains to be seen if the prospect of hearing roars of "USA! USA!" will entice her to return. Felix said that vision has undeniable appeal to all potential Team USA athletes. "If you can stick around to be involved in some capacity, you can't pass that up," Felix said. Felix was all smiles at a recent event with the Los Angeles Jets where she surprised members of the venerable youth track and field club with the children's snack food Danimals as part of a promotional campaign. "The Jets are such a powerhouse and a staple in the community and looking at these kids it's interesting because beyond '28, they are going to be the ones who are out there," she said. The mother of two has been a trailblazer for women in sports and said she saw glimpses of her younger self in the fresh-faced sprinters she lined up against. "We did a little relay and they wanted to race me for real," said Felix, who won 11 Olympic medals including seven golds.
Japan Today
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
Simone Biles undecided on competing at LA Olympics, says 2028 'seems so far away'
Simone Biles celebrates her Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award, during the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) gymnastics Simone Biles is unsure whether she will compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. For now, the most decorated gymnast of all-time has other priorities and is listening to her body, too. 'I'm really trying to enjoy life, to spend time with my husband (Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens), go support him at his games, live my life as a woman,' she said in an interview with French sports daily L'Equipe published on Tuesday. 'I've accomplished so much in my sport. For me to come back, it would really have to excite me.' The 28-year-old American will be in Los Angeles for the Games but does not yet know in which capacity. 'Whether on the apparatus or in the stands, I still don't know that,' she told L'Equipe. 'But 2028 seems so far away, and my body is aging. I felt it in Paris.' The American gymnast won three gold medals and a silver at the Paris Olympics, taking her career tally to seven Olympic golds and 11 medals overall. But her body cracked from the strain. 'I went back to the village, I took the elevator and my body literally collapsed. I was sick for 10 days," she said, before recounting another experience. "The other day, we were sprinting in the garden with friends, I had aches and pains for three days. So, I honestly don't know. We'll see.' She praised her rival, Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, for recovering from injury and for 'pushing me beyond my limits,' but also said gymnastics no longer needs both of them. 'It only needs one of us, no? Especially since (Andrade) will not be alone,' Biles said. 'A young generation will knock at the door and everything will start again.' The interview took place before Monday's Laureus Awards in Madrid, where she was named sportswoman of the year. Whatever she decides regarding her career, Biles will continue to speak about mental health. 'I am very proud of the work accomplished to reach this point," she said, "and I will continue to be the voice of the voiceless.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Simone Biles undecided on competing at LA Olympics, says 2028 'seems so far away'
Simone Biles undecided on competing at LA Olympics, says 2028 'seems so far away' Simone Biles, of the United States, poses during the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Simone Biles celebrates her Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award, during the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Simone Biles celebrates her Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award, during the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Simone Biles, of the United States, poses during the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Simone Biles celebrates her Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award, during the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) PARIS (AP) — Simone Biles is unsure whether she will compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. For now, the most decorated gymnast of all-time has other priorities and is listening to her body, too. Advertisement 'I'm really trying to enjoy life, to spend time with my husband (Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens), go support him at his games, live my life as a woman,' she said in an interview with French sports daily L'Equipe published on Tuesday. 'I've accomplished so much in my sport. For me to come back, it would really have to excite me.' The 28-year-old American will be in Los Angeles for the Games but does not yet know in which capacity. 'Whether on the apparatus or in the stands, I still don't know that,' she told L'Equipe. 'But 2028 seems so far away, and my body is aging. I felt it in Paris.' The American gymnast won three gold medals and a silver at the Paris Olympics, taking her career tally to seven Olympic golds and 11 medals overall. Advertisement But her body cracked from the strain. 'I went back to the village, I took the elevator and my body literally collapsed. I was sick for 10 days," she said, before recounting another experience. "The other day, we were sprinting in the garden with friends, I had aches and pains for three days. So, I honestly don't know. We'll see.' She praised her rival, Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, for recovering from injury and for 'pushing me beyond my limits,' but also said gymnastics no longer needs both of them. 'It only needs one of us, no? Especially since (Andrade) will not be alone,' Biles said. 'A young generation will knock at the door and everything will start again.' Advertisement The interview took place before Monday's Laureus Awards in Madrid, where she was named sportswoman of the year. Whatever she decides regarding her career, Biles will continue to speak about mental health. 'I am very proud of the work accomplished to reach this point," she said, "and I will continue to be the voice of the voiceless.' ___ AP sports:
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Simone Biles' ex-coach reveals gymnast's battle with 'twisties' before winning four gold medals in 2016
Simone Biles ' infamous battle with the 'twisties' at the COVID-delayed 2020 Tokyo Games was not her first experience with the potentially dangerous mental block, according to a new book from her longtime coach. The most decorated athlete in the sport's history, Biles ' Olympic dreams were nearly dashed ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics when she first began to battle the mid-air phenomenon that leaves gymnasts disoriented at the most precarious moments. As coach Aimee Boorman explained in 'The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles,' the issue arose six months before the start of the Olympics. 'Yep, before Simone introduced the world to the twisties in 2021, she had experienced this proprioception phenomenon in January of 2016,' Boorman wrote, as quoted by ESPN. 'When this happens to a gymnast who is flipping ten-plus feet in the air and they lose body awareness in space and time – not knowing if they're going to land on their back, feet or head – it's much more dangerous [than the 'yips' in baseball or golf].' When the 'twisties' would strike Biles 'would physically stop herself from twisting during her routines because she was afraid of getting lost in the air.' 'Simone would never crash; she would just stop herself before ever attempting a twist,' Boorman added. Simone Biles with the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award attends the Winners Walk during the 2025 Laureus World Sport Awards winners walk at Palacio De Cibeles Boorman says she resisted the urge to pressure Biles and instead took a patient approach with someone who already had a growing collection of trophies. 'She was already the back-to-back-to-back world champion,' she wrote. 'Simone knew how to twist.' With the help of family, her therapist, and hands-off Boorman, Biles ultimately fixed the issue to win the first four Olympic golds of her career. 'Simone needed time, support and reassurance that I believed in her,' Boorman wrote. Biles, who had not previously revealed her 2016 battle with the 'twisties,' wrote the forward to Boorman's book. 'Coach Aimee and I have a special bond,' Biles wrote. 'She always did what was best for her athletes personally, even if someone told her it might not work. ... Coach Aimee understands that every athlete works, processes instruction and learns differently, and she caters to that.' Co-written by Boorman and journalist Steve Cooper, 'The Balance' was set for release on Tuesday. Biles appeared to dash hopes that she could make a return to the Olympic stage on home soil when Los Angeles hosts the Summer Games in 2028. Following a historic year that saw the gymnastic icon cement herself as the greatest of all time with three more gold medals in Paris to add to her Olympic haul, Biles was named Sport's Illustrated's 2024 Sportsperson of the Year in January. However, after being announced as the recipient of SI's honor, she cast doubt on a potential return. 'Life and death,' she told SI when asked what it would have to signify for her to return to the Olympic stage in LA. 'Because I've accomplished so much, there's almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what? I'm at a point in my career where I'm humble enough to know when to be done.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Simone Biles' Husband Reacts to Major Awards News
Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles added another huge win to her resume this week and no one seemed prouder than her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens. Following Biles' award as the 2025 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Owens posted a heartfelt message on Instagram. Advertisement 'And another one. So proud to call you my wife,' he wrote with heart emojis, alongside a photo tribute to his wife. The message came shortly after Biles took the spotlight at the awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, where her success in the 2024 Paris Olympics earned her the prestigious honor. Biles, 28, looked stunning in a black corseted balloon mini dress with a sheer long skirt, created by designer Eman AlAjlan. The award recognized Biles' dominating performance at the Paris Games, where she won three gold medals—in team, all-around and vault—plus a silver in the floor event. Simone Biles of the United States celebrates her gold medal during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Terada-Imagn Images This marks the fourth time Biles has earned the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year honor, tying tennis legend Serena Williams for the most wins ever. It's also the first time any athlete has won the award in back-to-back years. Advertisement Owens, who plays for the Bears and is currently focused on the 2025 NFL season, has shown consistent support throughout Biles' busy year. The couple has balanced their high-profile careers with personal time together, including recent travels and shared celebrations. With another award under her belt and the support of her husband by her side, Simone Biles continues to inspire as both an athlete and a role model. Related: Simone Biles Drops Relatable Post-Olympics Confession
