Simone Biles calls out newspaper after photo blunder

The American became the most decorated gymnast in history after her return from a two-year hiatus at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Simone Biles has taken aim at a newspaper after the publication shared an article about her featuring a photo of her teammate.

Biles made her much-anticipated return to international competition at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp after her two-year hiatus from the sport to prioritise her mental health.

The American returned in style as she won four golds and one silver to claim her 37th medal in World Championships and Olympic Games, surpassing the previous record set by Belarusian Vitaly Scherbothe and becoming the most decorated gymnast in history.

However, the 26-year-old was left frustrated when American publication, the Wall Street Journal, shared an article on social media about her achievements but mistakenly used a picture of her US teammate Shilese Jones.

Writing on X/Twitter, Biles said: “This picture isn’t even me…….. try again.”

Jones was part of the US women’s team that stormed to a record seventh straight victory in the team event, with the 21-year-old also picking up two bronze medals in the uneven bars and individual all-around event.

For Biles, however, the week in Belgium still marks a remarkable comeback to the sport and will raise hopes of her participation in next summer’s Paris Olympic Games. The American only made her return to competitive action at the US Classic in Chicago but was back to her best at the World Championships.

Biles won four gold models in Antwerp (Getty Images)

On top of her team gold, Biles also picked up the first-place prize in the individual all-around, balance beam, and floor events, while finishing second in the vault and fifth in the uneven bars.

Her medal tally in worlds and Olympics now sits at 37 - four more than previous record holder Scherbo - with the American surpassing the Belarusian’s total in the same city where she won her first World Championship gold ten years prior.

Elsewhere at the tournament, Jake Jarman claimed Britain’s only medal of the World Gymnastics Championships with gold in the men’s vault, while Max Whitlock finished fifth in the pommel horse in his return to international competition.