"Disgusting" "Insane Work" - Fans react to Simone Biles losing to Caitlin Clark for Athlete of the year award, with Imane Khelif finishing 3rd

Caitlin Clark received the AP Athlete of the Year honor with 35 votes, Simone Biles took second position with 25 while boxer Imane Khelif stood third. The news release left fans in splits, some reacting to Biles losing to Clark and some opining on Khelif's podium position.

Caitlin Clark, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and two-time National Player of the Year with the Iowa Hawkeyes, boasts an exceptional NCAA career. The 22-year-old joined the Indiana Fever as the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft. She ended the season with the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.

On the other hand, gymnast Simone Biles walked home with three golds and a silver from the Paris Olympics after clinching her ninth National title. As per a recent update, Clark amassed 35 votes to become the AP Athlete of the Year while the 30-time World medalist trailed with 25. Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who has been embroiled in a gender-related controversy since the Paris Olympics, earned third place.

Some social fans called out AP for Simone Biles' defeat, whereas others pointed out Khelif's gender row as a point of concern.

One fan found the news funny as Simone Biles' gold-winning feats trailed Clark's repertoire which doesn't have a National title or a playoff win. A fan wrote:

"Athlete of the year to somebody who didn’t win the national championship or a playoff game but Simone Biles who won gold medals didn’t win."

Another fan felt that the boxer earning third place was 'disgusting'.

"Disgusting. The Khelif thing, not Clark or Biles."

Another fan chimed in to write:

"Clark and Biles are biological women. Imane Khelif is not, so is obvious he got 4 votes."

Here are some of the other reactions:

"What's disgusting is that men like you CHOOSE to ignore that because you get off on men physically dominating women," a fan on Khelif's third position.

"Are you. Comparing a team sport to and individual sport," a fan highlighted the difference between Biles and Clark's sports.

"Smh so the athlete that actually won something got second. Insane work," a fan reacted to Biles' loss.

---

Simone Biles became the most recognized athlete, beats Rafael Nadal and Caitlin Clark

Simone Biles reacting to the Los Angeles Rams v Chicago Bears - (Source: Getty)

A fan post on X reported that a survey of New York Times subscribers, involving a facial recognition quiz to identify athletes, revealed Simone Biles received the highest recognition rate at 92%, while Nadal trailed with 56% and Clark with 73%.

Biles clinched her sixth World title after returning from a two-year hiatus in 2023. Her momentum continued in Paris, followed by the 30-city Gold Over America tour.

Nadal, on the other hand, kicked off his year with the Brisbane International but his following appearances were impacted by a muscle injury. He also served as the torch-bearer at the Paris Olympics' opening ceremony and before retiring from professional tennis after playing in the 2024 Davis Cup.