Simone Biles gives honest opinion on her Mount Rushmore of Olympians ft Michael Phelps

Simone Biles picked herself, Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps, and Mikaela Shiffrin as her Mount Rushmore picks. Biles ended her 2024 season with a bag of laurels, including four medals at the 2024 Paris Games.

Simone Biles' success in Paris, winning gold medals in the vault, all-around, team competition, and silver on the floor exercise, made her the most decorated US gymnast. She also tied with Vera Caslavska as the second-most decorated female Olympic gymnast. Biles also took the stage on the Gold Over America Tour's second edition, the event she launched after the Tokyo Olympics.

After ushering in the New Year's 2025, Simone Biles sat for a candid conversation with Sports Illustrated before the 2025 gymnastics season, naming the athletes she would want in her Mount Rushmore.

The 11-time Olympic medalist named herself, the most decorated female swimmer Katie Ledecky, swimming legend Michael Phelps, and the winningest alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin.

"I would put myself on there. I would also put Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps, and Mikaela Shiffrin."

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist often shows her support to the athletes she picked for Mount Rushmore and even receives appreciation from them through social media posts. Especially, Biles and Mikaela Shiffrin, who connected as mental health advocates after the former faced 'twisties' in 2021 Tokyo, and the alpine skier faced a similar fate at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Simone Biles hoped for gymnastics' better future after she received the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year honor

Simone Biles at the Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 10 - (Source: Getty)

In honor of her successful exploits in the French capital, Simone Biles received the Sportsperson of the Year honor from Sports Illustrated. In an interview with the publication, the 27-year-old expressed excitement about receiving the major honor and her wish to put gymnastics on the map.

"I'm so excited to be Sportsperson of the Year. It is a big role and shoes to fill, I'm honored because we want to put gymnastics on the map alongside the Olympic year. So, it's really cool," Biles said.

The 30-time World medalist spent the holiday season with her husband Jonathan Owens, having attended the Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions match-up on Thanksgiving, and Bears vs Seattle Seahawks on December 27, 2024.

She also spent New Year's Eve cozied up with her husband since the latter had to report to the hotel for Owens' game against the Green Bay Packers on January 5, 2025.