Biles named AP Female Athlete of the Year a third time
There were jitters, of course. Considering all that happened, how could there not be?
When Simone Biles walked onto the floor at a suburban Chicago arena in late July for her first gymnastics competition in two years, she knew plenty of people were wondering how it was going to go.
“I thought that too, don’t worry,” Biles said with a laugh.
By the end of one rotation, the most decorated gymnast of all time realized she was back in her safe space. By the end of August, she was a national champion. Again. By October, she was a world champion. Again.
And by December, she was The Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year. Yes, again.
Her triumphant return that included her record eighth U.S. national championship and a sixth world allaround gold made Biles the sixth woman to claim the AP honor for a third time. The 26-year-old seven-time Olympic medalist was followed by Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark and Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati of the World Cup champion Spanish soccer team in voting by a panel of sports media professionals.
Soccer
Manchester City was just too good and a bit lucky for overmatched Fluminense in the Club World Cup final by winning 4-0 and taking a fifth title in 2023 on Friday. It gave City a first Club World Cup title and Europe a 16th
in 17 editions of FIFA’s competition for continental champions.
• The long-awaited reunion of Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi is now a reality, after the Uruguayan striker signed with Inter Miami for the 2024 season. Suárez and Messi spent six seasons together at Barcelona, winning four Spanish league titles and nine other trophies — including a Champions League title — in that span.
Baseball
In an AL Central that appears to be wide open, the Detroit Tigers added Shelby Miller to their pitching staff following deals with Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty and Andrew Chafin.
Pro football
Former NFL player Mike Williams died from a rare form of sepsis related to dental health problems, according
Morning briefing
to a medical examiner’s report released. Williams, 36, died Sept. 12 after being hospitalized following a construction accident while working as an electrician.
College football
Haynes King threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score and Georgia Tech overcame a 14-point deficit to beat UCF 30-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Fla. King went 7 for 13 for 87 yards and ran for 89 yards on 12 carries. Jamal Haynes had 128 yards on 18 rushes to help Georgia Tech (7-6) to its first winning season since 2018. He became the Yellow Jackets’ first 1,000-yard runner since 2017. UCF’s John Rhys Plumlee completed 16 of 29 passes for 198 and two touchdowns. Timmy McClain replaced Plumlee, who was playing in his last collegiate game, with 4 minutes to play.
Skiing
Austrian skier Marco Schwarz has won a men’s World Cup night race to take the lead in the slalom and overall standings. Schwarz improved from sixth position after the opening leg to win by 0.25 seconds from first-run leader Clement Noel.