Gymnastics

Kara Eaker, a gymnast for the United States and at the University of Utah, has retired from the sport at the age of 20.

In a post on Instagram, Eaker cited "verbal and emotional abuse" she experienced over the past two years while training with the Utah gymnastics team as her reason for walking away from the sport:

"During my recruiting process, I was promised a 'family' within this program and a 'sisterhood' with my teammates, who would accept me, care for me, and support me. But instead, after I entered as a freshman, I was heartbroken to find the opposite in that I was training in an unhealthy, unsafe, and toxic environment. ... The cruelty was compounded because I thought I'd be safe, both mentally and physically, at the University of Utah, but instead I was personally attacked, humiliated, degraded and yelled at to the point of tears in front of the whole team."

Eaker also wrote about an unnamed coach who would "manipulate, bully and berate an athlete for being late to practice" and when she saw the coach's name on the lock screen of her phone when he would send a text it "caused a panic attack."

She said the University of Utah athletic department "failed me" because when she made appointments to report "the emotional abuse, verbal attacks, as well as request support" she was "completely dismissed."

Eaker wrote that one administrator denied any abuse happened and told her, "You two are like oil and water, you just don't get along." She concludes her statement by saying she wants "to be part of the solution" for victims of abuse.

During her two-year career at Utah, Eaker was a first-team All-Pac-12 and first-team All-American selection on the balance beam. She was a four-time gold medalist on Team USA at the Pan American Games, winning the balance beam and team final in 2018 and 2019.

Eaker also won gold at the 2018 and 2019 World Gymnastics Championships as a member of the U.S. team. She was an alternate for the United States squad at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Former gymnast and five-time Olympic medalist Mary Lou Retton is in an intensive care unit after she suffered a "pretty scary setback," according to her daughter, Shayla Schrepfer.

"We were so excited, seeing so much progress, and then yesterday we had a pretty scary setback," she said Wednesday in a video message on Instagram (h/t Anthony Dominic of ET Online). "She is still in ICU, and we're just working through some things as far as her setback goes."

Schrepfer said her mother "had a better day today" but was "exhausted."

Schrepfer's sister, McKenna Kelley, first announced on October 10 that Retton was "fighting for her life" due to a form of pneumonia. She followed up four days later to say her mom was improving.

Retton's performance in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles made her a household name for sports fans. She captured the all-around gold, becoming the first American female gymnast to do so.

The 55-year-old also earned a silver in the team and vault competitions and a bronze in the uneven bars and floor exercise.

The daughter of legendary U.S. Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton provided a positive update Saturday after Retton was recently hospitalized.

Retton's daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, announced Saturday in an Instagram post that Retton's condition is improving, writing:

"We're thrilled to share some uplifting updates! Mom's progress is truly remarkable! Prayers have been felt and have been answered. Although she remains in the ICU, her path to recovery is steadily unfolding. Her fighting spirit is truly shining!

"Her breathing is becoming stronger, and her reliance on machines is diminishing. Though it's a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening! She's responding so well to treatments. Once more, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your overwhelming love and support."

Another of Retton's daughters, McKenna Kelley, posted earlier this week on Instagram (h/t ESPN) that Retton was "fighting for her life" in the hospital after being diagnosed with a "very rare form" of pneumonia.

Kelley added that Retton was unable to breathe on her own, and while she noted that Retton was "getting incredible medical care," Retton's family set up a fundraising campaign to help pay for medical bills since Retton is not insured.

Per Reuters (h/t ESPN), the family had raised over $400,000 as of Saturday afternoon.

Retton, 55, was part of the United States gymnastics team at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, and she secured one of the most impressive medal hauls in Olympic gymnastics history.

In addition to becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the all-around, Retton took silver in the team event and the vault, and bronze in the uneven bars and floor exercise.

Retton, who was just 16 years old at the time of her Olympic performance, was nicknamed "America's Sweetheart" after captivating the entire country.

After retiring in 1986, Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997, and she returned to the limelight in more recent years, competing on the 27th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2018.

Former gymnast and five-time Olympic medalist Mary Lou Retton has been diagnosed with a "very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life," according to a social media post from her daughter, McKenna Kelley.

Mary Lou Retton, one of the greatest names in U.S. Olympic history, “has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life,” according to her daughter McKenna Kelley’s Instagram story. “She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now.” pic.twitter.com/9LnwOJNP1J

— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) October 10, 2023

Retton, 55, won the individual all-around gold medal at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles while also winning silver medals in the team competition and vault and bronze medals in the uneven bars and floor exercise.

She was the first woman from the United States to ever win an individual all-around gold medal at the Olympics, though the Soviet Union—a powerhouse in the sport—boycotted the 1984 Games amid the Cold War and after the United States' boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

The Soviet Union was one of 14 communist nations to boycott the 1984 Games.

It would be 20 years before another United States woman, Carly Patterson in 2004, would win a gold medal in the individual all-around competition. Patterson's gold was the first in a string of five straight for the United States, which included triumphs from Nastia Liukin (2008), Gabrielle Douglas (2012), Simone Biles (2016) and Sunisa Lee (2020).

But Retton's was the first, a historic and monumental achievement that earned her Sportsperson of the Year accolades from Sports Illustrated in 1984. She would go on to be inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and had a career in entertainment following her sporting days that included an episode of Baywatch in 1993 and an appearance in the 1994 comedy film Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult.

After a triumphant return to competition this weekend at the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships, Simone Biles admitted she wasn't sure this moment would ever come.

Responding to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the time when no one was sure she would compete again, Biles wrote, "real talk I didn't think so either" after she had to withdraw from multiple events at the Tokyo Olympics.

🥺🥺🥺🥺

real talk I didn’t think so either https://t.co/JUlvnZ6PUW

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 8, 2023

Biles was scheduled to compete in the team competition, individual all-around, vault, uneven bars, floor exercise and balance beam at the 2020 Olympics. She withdrew from five events to focus on her mental health.

One day before the team final, Biles wrote on Instagram she felt "like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times."

Biles was able to compete in the finals of the balance beam, winning a bronze medal.

After the Olympics, Biles took a hiatus from competition. USA Gymnastics announced on June 28 the 26-year-old was going to participate in the United States Classic scheduled for Aug. 5.

Biles won the national title for a record-breaking eighth time with a combined score of 118.450, nearly four full points better than the runner-up (Shilese Jones: 114.550). She qualified for the World Championships in September.

In her first appearance at the World Championships since 2019, Biles medaled in five different events. She won gold in the team competition, individual all-around, balance beam and floor exercise.

Biles' 37 combined medals in the Olympics and World Championships is the most for an individual in gymnastics history. She has won 30 medals at the World Championships, 10 more than any other female gymnast (Svetlana Khorkina).

Last month, Biles told NBC's TODAY show she "would love to go" to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic trials will take place in Minneapolis from June 27-30. The five-woman gymnastics team will be announced after that event.

Simone Biles has added another gold to her collection.

Biles earned a 14.800 score on her balance beam routine at Sunday's World Championships, narrowly defeating China's Zhou Yaqin.

What @Simone_Biles did: THAT. 🥇pic.twitter.com/Urw44FMWuI https://t.co/z3iVvX81dW

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) October 8, 2023

The gold is Biles' third at the 2023 World Championships and gives her a record 36 total medals between the worlds and Olympic Games.

Her triumph in Antwerp has been nothing short of amazing. At age 26, she already became the oldest woman to win a U.S. championship earlier this year and is setting all kinds of American age records at the worlds.

The return to the world stage was anything but given at her age and especially after a two-year hiatus following the 2021 Summer Olympics. She dealt with a mental health block known colloquially as the "twisties," which leave gymnasts unable to properly control themselves in the air.

Following the Olympics, it appeared more likely that Biles would retire than return to international competition—let alone return to her perch as the best in the world.

Instead, it appears the break was just what she needed. Biles has been dominant since her return to the sport and has locked herself in as a favorite to add more gold medals to her mantle next summer in Paris.

One day after becoming the most decorated gymnast of all time with a victory in the women's all-around, Simone Biles added more medals to her collection at the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships.

The American superstar competed in the finals of the vault and uneven bars on Saturday. Her first attempt on the vault was rough when she over-rotated on a Yurchenko double pike and fell on her back.

After gathering herself, Biles rebounded on her second attempt with a clean landing on the twisting Cheng to earn a score of 14.666. She received an average score of 14.549 on the two attempts, good enough to win the silver medal.

Despite the fall on her first vault, Biles' score of 14.433 was still the third-highest in the field because of the start value since she was attempting a more difficult jump than anyone else.

Brazil's Rebeca Andrade took home the gold with an average score of 14.75 on her two attempts (15.00 on the first attempt/14.5 on the second attempt). Yeo Seo-Jeong of South Korea won the bronze with a final score of 14.416.

Biles' final event of the day was the uneven bars. Historically, this hasn't been her strongest event with just one silver medal at the 2018 World Championships. She made it through qualifying in fifth place with a score of 14.400 earlier this week.

The 26-year-old finished fifth in the finals for the uneven bars on Saturday. Her score of 14.200 was tied with Sanna Veerman of the Netherlands, but Biles won the tiebreaker thanks to a higher execution score (8.200 to 8.000).

Biles' fifth-place finish matches her result from the 2019 World Championships in Germany.

The silver medal in the vault gives Biles 35 career medals between the World Championships and Olympics. The American superstar can add two more on the final day in Belgium when she competes in the finals for the balance beam and floor exercise.

Simone Biles is once again at the top of the gymnastics world after taking home gold in the women's all-around competition at the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.

This marks Biles' sixth all-around title at the World Gymnastics Championships, which ties her with Japan's Kōhei Uchimura for the most-ever all-around titles in the event's history. The win also gives her 34 medals between the world championships and Olympics, which is more than any other gymnast, male or female.

SIMONE IS GOLDEN AGAIN! 🥇@Simone_Biles claims her sixth world all-around title to tie the overall record. #Antwerp2023 pic.twitter.com/274v7qy8Z6

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 6, 2023

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1710384793068687372

We're not crying, you're crying. 🥹

The national anthem plays for 6-time world all-around champion Simone Biles. 🇺🇸🥇 pic.twitter.com/pp0PQ65KSV

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 6, 2023

Biles finished this year's championships with 58.399 points, topping Brazil's Rebeca Andrade and fellow American Shilese Jones.

Biles, who has not lost an all-around competition since 2013, was favored to win this year's World Gymnastics Championships. That said, it's no surprise she came out on top.

The 26-year-old began Friday's event with a score of 15.1 on vault after sticking a Cheng vault. While she opted against doing the Yurchenko double pike, her Cheng vault paid off as she scored a 9.5 out of 10 on execution alone.

Just going to leave this Simone Biles vault here.

Enjoy.#Antwerp2023 | 📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/p4bx3mqhX0

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 6, 2023

Uneven bars, which is considered Biles' "weakest event" followed vault. It wasn't her cleanest routine ever, but she managed to score a 14.33 to widen the gap between her and her two biggest competitors, Jones and Andrade.

Two down. Two to go.

Simone Biles is halfway through the all-around final and currently sits in first.#Antwerp2023 | 📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/px0cOyZDBR

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 6, 2023

Biles followed the uneven bars with some difficulty on the balance beam. She landed a little off center on her mount and had to check her balance before continuing with the rest of her routine, which was nearly flawless.

She scored a 14.433 on balance beam to enter her final event with a comfortable lead over Jones and Andrade.

It's a 14.433 for Simone Biles on the balance beam.

The homestretch to the podium is ON. 👊#Antwerp2023 | 📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/G32P4uCEv5

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 6, 2023

Biles' final event, the floor exercise, is one of her signatures. She scored a 14.533 after some excellent tumbling. Her only slip up came when she tripped as she was running for a leap, resulting in her skipping a skill.

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1710385290777432210

After Biles' big win, which made her the most decorated gymnast ever, gymnastics fans erupted on X, formerly known as Twitter, and praised her for being the best to ever compete in the sport:

Simone. Biles. The. Goat.

— Olivia Trautman (@OTrautman) October 6, 2023

Simone Biles is just absolute box office. Outrageously ludicrously good. Great to see her back #WorldGymnastics

— Duncan Jenner (@duncanjenner) October 6, 2023

Simone Biles is the GOAT 🥇 #Antwerp2023 pic.twitter.com/UkeEgJ3qzv

— wes ultra (@wes_ultra) October 6, 2023

Simone Biles is the GOAT 🐐

— Ili (@ili_b3ar) October 6, 2023

Simon Biles ... she's unreal.

Unbelievable talent.

— ... and I can never be food (@KB__SBO) October 6, 2023

Simone Biles, What an athlete 👏👏👏

— kevin (@kevinalden7) October 6, 2023

@Simone_Biles Is absolutely amazing. What a role model for upcoming gymnasts.

— selena🧚🏻‍♀️ (@Lady_Barrington) October 6, 2023

Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes in history. Point blank period. She’s not just the top of her field, she’s an incredible athlete. And we are so lucky to be alive to see her compete. What a queen.

— Jennifer (@Jen_naaay) October 6, 2023

https://twitter.com/kaylaraejepsen/status/1710381749220360415

if you’re having a conversation about the greatest athlete of all time and you don’t mention simone biles your conversation is incomplete. https://t.co/XvmruK8Mtf

— あや ניומן ✌🏼🍉🔻 (@bayareadirtbag) October 6, 2023

The win alone is impressive, but this is an incredible feat for Biles after she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics after experiencing the "twisties." Now she has twice as many world titles than any other woman, and there's still likely no stopping her.

No gymnastics team on the men's or women's side in the history of sport had won seven consecutive world titles in the team finals event.

Until now.

The United States women's team captured gold in the team finals competition at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. It was the country's seventh straight World Championships gold in the event, and a familiar face led the way.

Simone Biles competed in all four events of the vault, bars, beam and floor for the Americans and propelled a championship-winning effort. The United States was joined by Brazil (silver) and France (bronze) on the podium.

These reactions. 🥹

The moment the U.S. women's gymnastics found out they won a record 7th straight world team title. #Antwerp2023 pic.twitter.com/VG2eOl5T3m

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 4, 2023

In a league of their own! 🥇

The US Women are golden yet again, becoming the only team - male or female - to win seven straight World Championship Titles!@TeamUSA | @NBCOlympics | @antwerp2023 pic.twitter.com/vn9rMSTdWi

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) October 4, 2023

Despite the win, there was something of a rocky start for the United States. Joscelyn Roberson suffered an injury during warm-ups and was ruled out of the competition, although Leanne Wong was admirable in her place starting with the vault.

It also helps having arguably the greatest gymnast in history on your side.

Biles stunned on the vault with a score of 14.800 even though she didn't attempt her famous Yurchenko double pike. From there, she notched a 14.466 on bars, which was notable since it isn't considered her strong suit.

It's a 14.800 for Simone Biles on vault in the women's team final. 🔥#Antwerp2023 | 📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/wU0cOul1EQ

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 4, 2023

Fly high and stick the landing. 💯

Simone Biles gets it done on the uneven bars.#Antwerp2023 | 📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/B9a03vYeBN

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 4, 2023

She was far from done and overcame a missed opening leap series on beam with a strong finish for a score of 14.300. Fittingly, she was brilliant on the floor routine and clinched the gold medal for her team with a score of 15.166.

Simone Biles is DELIVERING for Team USA. 📦#Antwerp2023 | 📺 @peacock pic.twitter.com/QD54izkUGY

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 4, 2023

In @Simone_Biles on floor we trust 🫡

A 15.166 floor routine caps off @USAGym’s 7th straight world title! #Antwerp2023 | 📺 @peacock
https://t.co/Pr1tPlfd48

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) October 4, 2023

Wednesday's performance was just the latest in a legendary career.

Emily Dozier of Sporting News listed some of Biles' accomplishments and what was at stake coming into this year's competition:

• She became the oldest American woman at 26 to compete in the World Championships in 50 years

• She already had a record 25 medals (including a record 19 golds) since competing in her first World Championships in 2013

• She already had 32 combined medals between the World Championships and Olympics, which was one away from tying the record

• She can become the first woman with six all-around golds if she wins it in Friday's all-around competition

Biles already made history during qualifications for this year's World Championships when she became the first woman to complete a Yurchenko double pike on the vault in international competition.

Fittingly, the skill (Biles II) was named after her:

SIMONE HAS DONE IT‼️

Simone Biles is the first female gymnast to perform the Yurchenko double pike on vault internationally and the skill is now officially called the "Biles II". #Antwerp2023 pic.twitter.com/d6wjjzDxpM

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 1, 2023

She will surely be a focal point if and when she competes in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which would make Biles just the third American woman gymnast to compete in three different Games.

If Wednesday's showing was any indication, there are more incredible performances and gold medals to come.

At age 26, most gymnasts have long since hung up their leotards.

Simone Biles isn't most gymnasts.

The American superstar pulled off arguably her greatest feat yet during Sunday's World Championships, becoming the first woman to pull off the Yurchenko double pike in international competition. The move will now be christened the Biles II.

SIMONE HAS DONE IT‼️

Simone Biles is the first female gymnast to perform the Yurchenko double pike on vault internationally and the skill is now officially called the "Biles II". #Antwerp2023 pic.twitter.com/d6wjjzDxpM

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) October 1, 2023

Earlier this year, Biles became the oldest woman to win the U.S. Gymnastics championships. She's the oldest woman to make the United States' roster for the World Championships in over 50 years.

If Sunday is any indication, Biles does not appear to be missing a beat.

She appears destined to earn a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics, which would also create history as the U.S. typically relies on a crop of younger gymnasts. After a relatively disappointing 2020 Summer Games, the world may just have to watch on as Biles makes history.