Simone Biles Takes Home Fourth Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback: From the Twisties to Gold in Gymnastics

Simone Biles has been honored with her fourth Laureus World Sports Award in the Comeback category. This recognition came after Biles won four gold medals and one silver at the world gymnastics championships in October, following a nearly two-year break from competition after the Tokyo Games. She had previously been nominated for the Comeback of the Year award in 2022 when she returned from the twisties to earn an Olympic balance beam bronze medal, which was won by British skateboarder Sky Brown that year. Biles has also been named Sportswoman of the Year three times, the second-most in history behind Serena Williams.

In the Comeback of the Year category, several notable nominees included soccer player Sebastien Haller of Côte d’Ivoire, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain, rugby player Siya Kolisi of South Africa, basketball player Jamal Murray of Canada, and tennis player Marketa Vondrousova of Czechia. Novak Djokovic was honored as the Sportsman of the Year for a fifth time, tying the record held by fellow tennis player Roger Federer. Other nominees in this category included pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, soccer players Erling Haaland of Norway and Lionel Messi of Argentina, American sprinter Noah Lyles, and Formula One driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands.

Aitana Bonmati, a Spain soccer player, was named Sportswoman of the Year, beating out nominees such as Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, tennis player Iga Swiatek, and track stars Sha’Carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson