US athlete Simone Biles breaks 90-year record by winning eighth title
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The gymnast breaks the record of athlete Alfred Jochim who received his seventh title in 1933.
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Athlete Simone Biles at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 (AFP)
After winning her eighth all-around title at the US Gymnastics Championships, star athlete and gymnast Simone Biles broke a 90-year record following a comeback from a two-year mental health break.
Her floor routine earned a score of 15.400, which gave her an all-around total of 118.450 - allowing her to move ahead and break the record of Alfred Jochim, who received his seventh US title in 1933.
Biles was the only competitor to finish the two-day competition in San Jose with two scores of 15 or higher.
More history for the 🐐!
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) August 28, 2023
Simone Biles becomes the first gymnast - man or woman - to win 8 All-Around Titles at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships! pic.twitter.com/a5drI6qRrh
The star athlete gained traction and became a US all-around champion first in 2013 and moved on to match Jochim's record and receive her seventh title in 2021.
However, she announced that she was taking a break from gymnastics later in 2021 after withdrawing from five of her six finals at the Tokyo Olympics, explaining that she was suffering from 'the twisties' which represent a kind of mental block whereby gymnasts lose their sense of space in the air.
At the time, her withdrawal was attributed to an "injury," as USA Gymnastics said in a statement: "Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue," adding: "She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions."
She did manage to win a balance beam bronze and a team silver in Tokyo.
Biles is to partake in the World Championships in Antwerp from September 30 to October 8 to rack up on her tally of 25 world medals, including 19 golds.
