“I collapsed onto my bedroom floor and started bawling” – When Simone Biles reflected on the moment she first realized intensity of debut world title

Simone Biles once reflected on the moment when she first realized the intensity of her victory at the 2013 World Gymnastics Championships, which also marked her first world debut title. At the 2013 edition in Antwerp, Belgium, Biles bagged four medals, including two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal.

In her autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, published in 2016, Simone Biles recalled the moment when she realized the significance of her career-defining victory.

While unpacking her bag following her return from Antwerp, Biles heard the song “Burn” by Ellie Goulding, which brought back her memories of the competition. As she grooved to the song, the emotional weight of her victory hit her, making her break down in tears from pride.

“Suddenly, everything I’d just gone through came rushing in: the exhaustion from the Worlds competition, the dreamlike medal ceremony, the girls with whom I’d shared the win, my parents looking on in disbelief and joy, my brothers being so happy for me, the photographers, the press, the Italians, Aimee, Martha, all of it. In that moment, the full force of what I had done finally hit me. I had competed at Worlds. And won,” Simone Biles wrote.

“As cheerful voices and bursts of laughter from my Worlds Party floated in through my window, mixing with the rhythm of ‘Burn,’ I collapsed onto my bedroom floor and started bawling. I was just so proud of myself. And somewhere in there, I also had this thought—I’m getting a belly ring,” she added.

At the 2013 World Gymnastics Championship, Biles dominated the all-around event after defeating her fellow teammate Kyla Ross and Russia’s Aliya Mustafina. She collected a total of 60.216 points to surpass Ross and Mustafina, who posted 59.332 and 58.856 points, respectively.

Further, the then 16-year-old gymnast also topped the floor routine with 15.000 points after surpassing her Italian and Romanian competitors. She came second to her teammate McKayla Maroney to bag a silver in the vault before clinching a bronze medal in the balance beam event.

Simone Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast following her victory streak at the Paris Olympics.

Following the 2024 Paris Games, Simone Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast. At the recent edition of the Games, she bagged three gold medals in team, all-around, and vault events. The American gymnast also bagged a silver medal in floor exercise, behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.

With a total of 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold, two silver, and two bronze, from three appearances at the Games, she became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast. The gymnast has contributed to the American team’s medal win at all the editions of the Games she has participated in, including a gold in Rio, silver in Tokyo, and another gold in Paris.