US Gymnast Simone Biles named Time’s 2021 Athlete of the Year

Simone Biles who won four Olympic gold medals was named Time's 2021 Athlete of the Year. The world's most decorated gymnast put her mental health ahead of the Olympic games and withdrew her name from four event finals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Biles later revealed that she suffered from what gymnasts called “the twisties”. In the Olympics, she planned to perform a 2½-twisting vault, but her mind chose to stall after just 1½ twists.

“I had no idea where I was in the air,” Biles said. “I could have hurt myself.”

Despite all these, she managed to earn a team all-around silver and a bronze in balance beam at the Tokyo Games.

Just after a month of the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old gave an emotional testimony at a US senate hearing into former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.

Later many athletes, including Biles accused the FBI, USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for failing to stop the abuse.