The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
AP names Simone Biles 2019 Female Athlete of the Year
They’re called “Simone Things,” a catchall phrase for the casual ease with which Simone Biles seems to soar through her sport and her life.
The irony, of course, is that there’s nothing casual or easy about it. Any of it. The greatest gymnast of all time and 2019 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year only makes it seem that way.
Those jaw-dropping routines that are rewriting her sport’s code of points and redefining what can be done on the competition floor? Born from a mix of natural talent, hard work and a splash of ego.
The 25 world championship medals, the most by any gymnast ever? The result of a promise the 22-year-old made to herself when she returned to competition in 2017 after taking time off following her golden run at the 2016 Olympics.
The stoicism and grace she has shown in becoming an advocate for survivors — herself included — and an agent for change in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal that’s shaken USA Gymnastics to its core? The byproduct of a conscious decision to embrace the immense clout she carries.
“I realize now with the platform I have it will be powerful if I speak up and speak for what I believe in,” Biles told The Associated Press. “It’s an honor to speak for those that are less fortunate. So if I can be a voice for them in a positive manner, then of course I’m going to do whatever I can.”
And it’s that mission — combined with her otherworldly skill and boundless charisma — that’s enabled Biles to keep gymnastics in the spotlight, a rarity for a sport that typically retreats into the background once the Olympic flame goes out. She is the first gymnast to be named AP Female Athlete of the Year twice and the first to do it in a non-Olympic year.
Biles edged U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe in a vote by AP member sports editors and AP beat writers. Skiing star Mikaela Schiffrin placed third, with WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne fourth. Biles captured the award in 2016 following a showstopping performance at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she won five medals in all, four of them gold. She spent most of the following 12 months taking a break before returning to the gym in the fall of 2017, saying she owed it to herself to mine the depth of her talent.
Check social media following one of her routines and you’ll find people — from LeBron James to Michelle Obama to Chrissy Teigen — struggling to distill what they’ve witnessed into 280 characters or fewer, with whatever they settle on typically followed by multiple exclamation points and a goat emoji, a nod to Biles being considered the Greatest Of All Time.
Her triple-twisting double-flip (the “triple double”) at the end of her first tumbling pass on floor exercise is a wondrous blur. Her doubletwisting double-flip beam dismount (the “double double”) is so tough the International Gymnastics Federation made the unusual decision to downplay its value in an effort to deter other gymnasts from even trying it.
January
President Donald Trump served “massive amounts” of burgers, fries and pizza at the White House to Clemson’s championship football team because ...
He was unable to serve Tiger prawns — in honor of Clemson’s nickname — due to a trade war with China.
A partial government shutdown led to furloughs among some federal workers, including those at the White House.
He believes real men are not afraid of cholesterol.
a. b. c. February
Who said the following? “So I’m just sore on top of sore. My neck is killing me. But at the end of the day, no one cares if my neck hurts.” Alex Ovechkin. Lindsey Vonn. James Dolan.
a. b. c. March
Match the NCAA Tournament team with its canine nickname: Northeastern. Gardner-Webb. Wofford. Terriers.
Runnin’ Bulldogs. Huskies.
a. b. c. 1. 2. 3. April
Magic Johnson abruptly quit as president of the Los Angeles Lakers. His reason?
He needs to concentrate on his health.
He plans to enter business ventures with LaVar Ball.
He wants to have fun again.
a. b. c. May
Maximum Security finished first at the Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for interference because it appears he suddenly ... jumped when whipped. jumped a puddle. jumped to conclusions.
a. b. c. June
The Blues won their first Stanley Cup, with “Gloria” as their victory song. Why did it become the team’s anthem?
Blues players heard the song in a Philadelphia bar while watching an NFL game.
Laura Branigan, who sang the 1982hit, was a longtime Blues fan.
Video surfaced of Gary Bettman singing “Gloria” in a karaoke contest.
a. b. c. July
Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon in an unprecedented fifth-set tiebreaker. After the match, the longest Wimbledon final in history, Roger Federer said on court ... b. c.
August
Raiders receiver Antonio Brown traveled outside the country during the offseason and developed foot problems. What went wrong?
He stumbled while running with the bulls in Pamplona in Spain.
He underwent cryogenic therapy in France, with the extreme cold leaving his feet severely blistered.
He had a botched acupuncture treatment in Japan while visiting the Itsukushima Shrine.
a. b. c. September
The progeny of two baseball Hall of Famers had notable games on the same night. Which choice is incorrect?
Cavan Biggio hits for the cycle.
Mike Yastrzemski homers at Fenway Park.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drives in four runs.
a. b. c. October
LeBron James said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was “misinformed” when he tweeted in support of Hong Kong activists. Which educational credential applies to Morey?
He has an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
He majored in East Asian Studies at Stanford.
He has lectured at Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University.
a. b. c. November
Student protesters flooded the field during halftime of the Harvard-Yale football game. They chanted ...
No to Nike! Drop the brand! / Asian sweatshops cannot stand!
Hey, hey! Ho, ho! / Fossil fuels have got to go!
Alpha, beta, upsilon, phi / Tuition here is too damn high!
a. b. c. December
Baseball union leader Marvin Miller was finally voted into the Hall of Fame. In 2008, four years before his death, he wrote in a letter ...
he no longer wants to be considered for election.
the Hall of Fame is an obsolescent mouthpiece of the baseball establishment.
he does not want to belong to a club that has Bowie Kuhn as a member.
a. b. c. Answers
January b. February b. March a-3, b-2, c-1. (Other tournament teams with dog nicknames — Gonzaga, Mississippi State, Washington, Yale — were not listed out of respect for the test taker.) April c. May b. June a. July a. August b. September c. October a. November b. December a.