‘Like a Taylor Swift concert’: Simone Biles enthralls fans on comeback trail

The seven-time Olympic medalist hailed as the greatest gymnast ever inspires a popstar-like devotion from her fans, who packed a hockey arena over the weekend for US nationals

Simone Biles continued her triumphant return to competition over the weekend, taking all-around gold at the US gymnastics championships on Sunday to become the first man or woman to win eight national titles.

The event marked the second meet for the seven-time Olympic medalist since she stunned the world by withdrawing from a majority of her events at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, citing her mental and physical health. But if there were concerns that a break of more than two years would set Biles back, her performance over the weekend all but annihilated them.