Martina Navratilova stands up for Simone Biles after criticism over $25 million-worth gymnast winning SI Sportsperson of the Year

Martina Navratilova defended Simone Biles after the American gymnast faced criticism from a few sections online after winning the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. The gymnast was an instrumental part of Team USA during the Paris Olympics where she enjoyed a record-breaking campaign.

Biles went into the Paris Olympics looking to make a statement on her comeback to the quadrennial Games. While some might crumble under the staggering amount of pressure, the gymnast won three golds in the Team, All-around, and Vault events and one silver in the Floor Exercise, adding to her already impressive legacy. She also won big in other events in 2024 such as the U.S National Championships.

In recognition of her grand 2024 season, Sports Illustrated honored Simone Biles with the title of Sportsperson of the Year. However, a user on X (formerly Twitter) criticized Sports Illustrated's decision and claimed that basketball sensation Caitlin Clark or MLB's MVP Shohei Ohtani would have been better choices.

"This is a joke. She was relevant for 2 weeks this summer. Caitlin Clark and Shohei Ohtani were relevant for months," the user wrote.

Martina Navratilova defended the $25 million star (according to Celebrity Net Worth) and snapped at the user.

"You really don’t know sh*t about sports," she tweeted.

This is not the first time Navratilova has stood up for Biles.

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"How many Olympic medals has Mark Robinson won again" - When Martina Navratilova slammed the GOP candidate

Martina Navratilova - Source: Getty

Republican Mark Robinson mocked Simone Biles during a speech to the Alexander County Republican Party in 2021. The American superstar took a two-year break to focus on her mental health.

"Whenever I think about being worn out and being tired, you know, somebody get this on their phone and it will probably end on Facebook, but I ain't no little, weak gymnast that quits when the going gets tough," Robinson said in 2021 (via Meidas News).

"I'm not like somebody out there flipping around on TV on some monkey bars out there trying to get a gold medal for myself," Robinson added.

When his comments resurfaced on social media in March, Martina Navratilova was outraged and lashed out at the GOP candidate, questioning what credentials he possessed to criticize an athlete of Biles' caliber.

"When was the last time Mark did a somersault? What an utter a**. He is just vile beyond any help," Navratilova wrote in her first post on X.

"So how many Olympic medals has Mark Robinson won again? Simone is a winner, unlike you, a blowhard neverhasbeen," she wrote in a second post.

Martina Navratilova had also hailed Simone Biles' decision to donate $4 million to the Harris-Walz campaign.