Who awarded Simone Biles the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022?

Joe Biden awarded Simone Biles the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.

The ceremony took place at the White House on July 7, 2022. Biles was among 17 recipients recognized by the Biden administration, receiving the United States’ highest civilian honor for her extraordinary achievements and influence in gymnastics.

Biles was 25 when she received the medal, making her the youngest person ever to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her honors followed a career that already included multiple Olympic and world championship titles, as well as her public advocacy for athlete safety and mental health.

The award is sometimes confused with Olympic honors or sports-specific awards, but it is a presidential civilian decoration. Biden personally presented it, not an earlier president associated with Biles’s Olympic successes. Other 2022 recipients included gymnast and activist Aly Raisman’s former teammate? No—Biles was the gymnast honored in this ceremony, alongside figures such as Megan Rapinoe and Simone Biles.