Simone Biles Demonstrates Athletic Prowess in These 8 SI Swim Photos in Houston

The gymnast has seven Olympic medals and two SI Swimsuit features to her name.

Cara O’Bleness | Oct 4, 2023

Simone Biles was photographed by James Macari in Houston.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Simone Biles is arguably the best gymnast in history. Not only is the athlete a seven-time Olympic medal winner (with four gold, one silver and two bronze to her name), she’s also tied with Shannon Miller as the American gymnast with the most Olympic medals in history.

After returning to competitive gymnastics this summer after a two-year hiatus, during which she tied the knot, Biles won the U.S. Classic in August. At the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastic Championships in Belgium earlier this week, the 26-year-old successfully executed the Yurchenko double pike and became the first woman to ever land the tricky move at the event. Many are now calling the move the “Biles II.”

In addition to being a world-renowned athlete, Biles has appeared in two SI Swimsuit Issues. She first posed for the magazine in 2017, when she worked with James Macari in Houston. She returned to the fold two years later and traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she posed for Walter Chin’s lens.

While you’d think the first experience would’ve been the toughest, Biles revealed that her second brand feature was actually more taxing.

“It was actually scarier the second time, but once I was on set and shooting I had such a blast,” Biles told SI Swimsuit. “It’s an honor to be featured in the SI Swimsuit edition and to be a part of this group who is inspiring women and showing girls that all body types are beautiful.”

Below are a few of our favorite pics from the Olympic athlete’s first SI Swimsuit feature in Texas.

Simone Biles — James Macari/Sports Illustrated

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Published Oct 4, 2023

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.