Celebrated athlete Simone Biles has been named Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Person of the Year, following her sterling performance at the Paris Olympics last year.
She spoke on Good Morning America to discuss the honor and what it meant to her. She acknowledged other talented athletes who had once received the award.
“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.
“I know a lot of people love the sport of gymnastics during an Olympic year and have followed my career closely, but I was still very shocked. I feel like I’m always shocked winning any sort of award or being honored,” the 27-year-old stated.
She recalled some moment at the Paris Olympics while speaking to Sports Illustrated, explaining that her end goal was to be happy doing gymnastics. The Sports Illustrated honors recognized other personalities in other categories as well.
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In August last year, basketball star Kevin Durant spoke about the depth of inspiration he saw in Simone Biles.
He said watching Simone win her sixth gold medal on August 1, 2024, had been one of the most exciting moments of his experience at the Paris Olympics.
In an interview with sports outlet The Athletic, he said he had “never been to a gymnastics event up close like that,” though he had “watched [gymnastics] on TV” before.
He noted it was a “different” experience watching the event in Paris, and that seeing Simone and other teammates put so much time into their craft was “just amazing.”
Beyond watching Biles dominate in Paris, the Phoenix Suns player said he was inspired by the 27-year-old athlete for the way she handled criticism.
