Brilliant Biles wins record eighth all-around national title a full decade after her first

With the win, Biles became the oldest U.S. women's all-around champion. She won her first title a decade ago in 2013.

Simone Biles reacts after competing on the floor exercise during the U.S. Gymnastics championship, Sunday, August 27, 2023 (AP)

Simone Biles won a record eighth all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in San Jose, California on Sunday, looking as dominant as ever despite only recently returning to competition after a two-year break.

The sold-out crowd leapt to their feet after Biles finished the two-day event with a magnificent floor routine to put the gymnastics world on notice with one year to go until the Paris Olympics.

The 26-year-old is making her comeback after pulling out of multiple events at the Tokyo Games due to 'the twisties', a temporary loss of spatial awareness in mid-air.

Simone Biles competes on the beam during the U.S. Gymnastics championship, Sunday, August 27, 2023 (AP)

Biles won her seventh title in 2021 to tie Alfred Jochim who won the last of his seven in 1933.

"I've been doing it for so long that I don't think about numbers, I think about my performance and overall I hit eight for eight," Biles said in an interview with the Peacock network.

Ten years ago she was a teenage prodigy who doesn’t remember much from her ascension to the top of her sport. She was always fixated on the next thing. World championships. Team camps. The Olympics.

Now she’s a newlywed determined to enjoy this. For real. Six months ago she wasn’t sure she was all in. Three weeks ago she returned to competition in Chicago feeling as if she was going to “throw up” every time she saluted the judges.

From the left, Shilese Jones, Simone Biles, and Leanne Wong pose for a photograph after placing second, first, and third place, respectively, in all-around competition at the U.S. Gymnastics championship, Sunday, August 27, 2023 (AP)

The woman who posted a two-day all-around total of 118.40 this weekend in northern California — four points clear of runner-up Shilese Jones and well ahead of Florida junior Leanne Wong in third place — is not ready to hit fast forward. She won. She’s letting herself be happy this time. That didn’t always happen before.

“We really try to celebrate our success individually and as a team just so that in a couple of years you can remember this,” she said. “Because I really don’t remember a lot from the past.”

Next stop is Antwerp in late September, where Biles will try to add to the 25 world championship medals — 18 of them gold — she’s captured so far.