"I don't think it'll hit me till I retire" - Simone Biles on her career achievements after becoming the most decorated gymnast ever

Simone Biles has said that the weight of her career achievements will probably not hit her until her retirement.

On Friday, October 6, Biles won the all-around gold medal at the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. It was her second gold medal of the event, after helping the United States women to a record seventh consecutive team title earlier.

With her latest triumph, Biles now has a total of 34 world and Olympic medals, which is more than any other gymnast (male or female), making her the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport

When asked if she had time to sit back and think of everything she has achieved in her career, the 26-year-old said that her emotions come out only during her therapy sessions and that she might not think about the magnitude of her achievements until she retires from the sport.

"I don't think so. I think every day I try to think about it, especially in therapy when we talk about it and that's when I think all the emotions come up and I really think about what I've done and what we've done to this sport and push that forward," she said. (via ESPN India)

"So I think it's really exciting. But all in all, I don't think it'll hit me till maybe I retire and then look back and see everything I've done," she added.

Incidentally, Biles is now the only gymnast to win world all-around titles a decade apart, having taken her first title at the same venue in 2013. The previous record was held by Japan's Uchimura Kohei and Russia's Svetlana Khorkina, whose first and last titles came six years apart.

---

"Black girl magic" - Simone Biles on sharing the podium with Rebeca Andrade and Shilese Jones

Rebeca Andrade, Simone Biles, and Shilese Jones at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.

While Simone Biles took top honors with a score of 58.399 points, Brazil's defending champion Rebeca Andrade (56.766) won the silver medal, and Biles' compatriot Shilese Jones, the 2022 World all-around silver medallist, took home the bronze medal with a score of 56.332.

Biles expressed joy at the results as three black girls completed the podium. She urged every kid watching to know that they can also realize their dreams if they work toward them.

"Tonight I think it was a good start. We had all-black podium of girls, so I think that was amazing, black girl magic. So hopefully it teaches all the young girls out there that you can do anything you put your minds to, so keep training hard," Simone Biles expressed.