Simone Biles has won a record eighth all-around title at the US Gymnastics Championships less than a month after ending a two-year break from the sport.
The 26-year-old claimed the record-breaking crown – 10 years after winning her first – as she posted a total of 118.40, four points clear of runner-up Shilese Jones.
The sold-out crowd in San Jose, California, leapt to their feet after Biles finished the two-day event with a brilliant floor routine.
After her triumph, Biles said: “I don’t think about numbers. I think about my performance.
“And I think overall, I hit eight for eight. I guess it’s a lucky number this year.”
The 19-time world champion returned to competition in Chicago earlier this month after suffering from “the twisties” – a phenomenon which affects an athlete’s spatial awareness – and withdrawing from five of her six finals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 to focus on her mental health.
The seven-time Olympic medallist became the oldest woman to win a national title since USA Gymnastics began organizing the event in 1963.
Her eight crowns moved her past Alfred Jochim, who won seven between 1925 and 33 when the Amateur Athletics Union ran the championships.
Biles has not confirmed whether she plans to compete at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
