LAUSANNE, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) — The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) on Monday announced that American gymnast Simone Biles and Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis are the AIPS Athletes of the Year 2024, as voted by 518 journalists from 111 countries and regions.

Biles, who won three Olympic gold medals and one silver at Paris 2024, garnered 703 points to win the Best Female Athlete of the Year award for the fifth time, ahead of Spain and Barcelona footballer Aitana Bonmati, who was recently named the Best FIFA Women’s Player for a second consecutive year. Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist in the 100m and silver medalist in the 200m, rounded out the top three with 263 points.

Duplantis dominated the Best Male Athlete of the Year category with 603 points. The Swede, who had finished second in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the AIPS poll, finally secured the top prize for the first time. Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic, who at 37 became the oldest Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles and just the fifth tennis player to achieve a career Golden Slam, finished second with 368 points, while Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, who became the first male cyclist since 1987 to win the ‘Triple Crown’ of the men’s Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and world title in the same year, finished third.

Having defended its Copa America title, Argentina’s men’s football team was voted the AIPS Best Team of the Year 2024, while the Paris 2024 Olympic Games scooped the AIPS Best Press Facilities award.

Simone Biles is not just a world-class gymnast; she’s also a fashion icon in her own right. Biles is as much known for sports and fashion as she is for impressing her fans with her personal life and couple goals. Both Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, often see supporting each other.

Whether Owens’ presence at the Paris Olympics or Biles support for Owens with a twist of surprise for him. They are couple goals! Simone Biles wore a special dress for Jonathan Owens featuring Owens himself. Yup! She showed up in a custom outfit featuring her husband for the Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks game on December 26, 2024.

Fans couldn’t stop adoring the beautiful dress. And everyone started talking about the mastermind behind the custom-made dress. Designer Kelly Daley is the one who poured her heart and mind into making the outfit. And bang! She is a viral designer now. She has gained widespread attention for her perfect blend of elegance and edge.

Simone Biles Shares New Year’s Eve Plans with Husband Jonathan — and Where They’ll Share a Midnight Kiss (Exclusive)

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens are gearing up to ring in the new year together!

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist, 27, tells PEOPLE that because of her husband’s busy NFL schedule, the couple will likely be cozied up at home when the ball drops. But despite their low-key plans, Biles says her husband has a cute gesture up his sleeve.

“Me and Jonathan were actually talking about it, and I’m like, ‘We’ll probably be in bed before the ball drops anyways,’ ” she explains to PEOPLE in a recent chat about her Athleta gift guide.  “And he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get up. I’ll set an alarm for 12 so I could kiss you.’ ”

And while Biles, who will likely be curled up in some of her favorite Athleta pieces like the Forever Fleece High Rise Jogger and the Easy Fleece Half Zip this holiday season, “never really” makes a New Year’s resolutions because of her packed schedule, she says, “I just try to be the best person that I can be regardless.”

The couple will be spending much of the holiday season in Chicago this year, where Owens is currently playing for the Chicago Bears. Though Biles will miss being with her extended family on Christmas Day, due to Owens’ home game on Dec. 26, she says she looks forward to getting some quality time with her husband.

“This will be the first Christmas that we’ll spend alone together as a couple, which is actually really nice,” she says.

Looking beyond the football season, Biles says the pair, who tied the knot in 2023, are hoping to do some traveling together in the coming months.

“Jonathan and I want to go on a couple of vacations, we’re planning those out right now,” she says of her plans in the coming months. “But other than that, just trying to give back to the community as much as I can because they’ve supported me through this journey.”

As to if she’ll return to the Olympics for the 2028 games in L.A., though, Biles says she’s not making any decisions just yet.

“Absolutely not,” she says when asked if she’s given more thought to her return. “We’re barely done with this year.”

Simone Biles has had an incredible year. And this holiday season, she’s thanking those who helped make it one for the books.

Today, the Olympic gymnast took to her Instagram page, sharing some photos of herself with her coach Cécile Landi and Dr. Marcia Faustin, co-head team physician for UC Davis Division I Collegiate Athletics and the U.S. Gymnastics women’s team. In the post, she expressed gratitude for the guidance and training over the course of her Olympic journey.

“before the year ends, I wanna highlight these 2 ladies,” Biles wrote in the post’s caption. “thanks for keeping me sane this year and making sure I never gave up on my dreams 💗much love.”

This past summer, Biles took home three gold medals from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, bringing her total number of gold medals to seven, and total number of medals overall to 11. Additionally, Biles was the subject of a two-part Netflix docuseries called “Simone Biles Rising,” which explored her journey to the 2024 games, as well as her time in Paris.

She was also the star of the “Gold Over America Tour,” in which several Team USA gymnasts toured the country showing off their routines over music and elaborate stage production. And in the days since, she’s been showing support for her husband Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens during the NFL seasons, wearing iconic outfits from the stands.

“If I’m explaining it, might not make sense” Simone Biles spills beans on how much she understands husband Jonathan Owens’ sport

Simone Biles and husband Jonathan Owens packed on some sweet sideline PDA ahead of his Sunday, December 8, football game.

Biles, 27, and Owens, 29, shared a sweet kiss ahead of his Chicago Bears away game against the San Francisco 49ers. Ahead of the matchup, Owens met up with Biles on the sidelines, where they each wrapped their arms around one another’s waists and embraced.

Biles also made sure to support her man in style, wearing a pair of navy-and-white sweatpants with “Owens” emblazoned across the waistband. She completed her look with a long-sleeved white T-shirt, matching heeled boots and a small silver handbag.  Biles also wore custom bedazzled sunglasses, which featured a blinged-out “36” in each lens to match Owens’ jersey number.

After the game commenced, Biles went to watch from a private suite — and shared glimpses of her experience via Instagram Story.

“GOOD DAY FOR SOME FOOOOOOTBALL BABYYYYYY,” she wrote on Sunday, sharing a pic of her stadium view.

The two athletes have been together since 2020, first meeting and matching via dating app Raya. At the time, Owens had no clue just how famous Biles was.

“[I] had been on the [dating app Raya] for a couple days and then she pops up. I’m like, ‘Lemme see who this is,’” Owens recalled during a December 2023 appearance on “The Pivot” podcast. “I never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity [and I was like], ‘I’ll see what’s up.’”

Owens was playing for the Houston Texans at the time, near Biles’ training facility.

Biles and the NFL safety dated for three years before getting married in April 2023. Since then, she’s been a staple at his football games. Owens also enjoys cheering on Biles, even receiving special permission to miss a few days of Bears training camp to watch her in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“It is not much motivation you need to do, just because you don’t want to put extra, added pressure on anyone,” Owens exclusively told Us Weekly in July of how they support one another. “I just tell her, ‘Go do your thing, baby.’… As long as she’s there, she’s on the field, give her a kiss and we can go about our way.”

He continued, “You get a different type of focus whenever you just have this one person that you’re focusing on. And I ain’t saying there’s something wrong with being single, but for me, knowing myself, I’ve played a lot better since [meeting Simone], I’ve just been focused and locked in, and you come home, talk about my day and play with the dogs, you know what I mean? That’s just kind of, like, our thing.”

Simone Biles is the greatest of all time in gymnastics, but she’s still got a ways to go when it comes to football. The 27-year-old athlete admitted that she and her husband Jonathan Owens are doing their best to understand each other’s sport.

A new clip on the official Olympics Instagram account revealed just how much Biles knows about her hubby’s sport. “Well, I could probably explain it to a five-year-old,” she said honestly, “But if I’m explaining it to a 25-year-old, might not make sense.” She then concedes that it’s the Chicago Bears safety who “knows so much about gymnastics.”

Both elite athletes have been spotted in the stands supporting each other’s careers. Owens was given time off from his team’s preseason training in July to travel to the Summer Games in Paris so he could see Biles win the team and the all-around gold medals in gymnastics. At team finals, he sported a T-shirt with her last name, “BILES” across his chest and multiple photos of his wife in gymnastics poses.

Biles recently returned the favor by wearing a full outfit with her husband’s face on it — a sweatshirt and pants. That’s a full commitment. (You can see the photos here.) The gymnast shared at the premiere of her Netflix docuseries, Simone Biles Rising, Part 2, in October that having her man there was crucial to her record-setting win.

“The Bears let him miss a couple of days and it meant the world to me because these are memories we’ll cherish together,” she explained. “It just means everything to me that he could show up and support me because he also knows that he’s my comfort person.”

Owens came in clutch for her after a small mistake in her uneven bars routine almost cost her a gold medal in the all-around. “I look to him even after I had one of the bar mistakes, I just looked at him and he’s like, ‘You’re fine, calm down.’ But then he was also like, ‘You need this. You need it to mess up because you need to lock in.,’” she recalled.

No worries, though! Biles will learn the game of football in time, it’s just showing up for each other that matters the most in her marriage to Owens.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles caught heat before the start of the NFL season for showing up to husband Jonathan Owens’ preseason game with the Chicago Bears in an outfit sporting the safety’s former team.

But on Thursday night, she silenced the critics.

The decorated Olympian arrived at Soldier Field in Chicago before the Bears’ Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks wearing an outfit decorated entirely with photographs of her husband’s face.

Owens reposted a photo of Biles to his Instagram Stories with the caption, “Ain’t she beautiful.”

Fans received the outfit choice well this time around.

In August, before a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the gymnast irked some by wearing a jacket depicting Owens when he played for the Green Bay Packers. Unbothered by the criticism, Biles later shared the photos on social media with the message, “Bear down.”

Owens signed a two-year contract with the Bears in March after spending one season with the Packers. He was excused from the start of training camp this summer to support his wife as she went on to make history at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Biles won four medals, including three gold, to bring her total Olympic medal count to 11 — the most by any American female gymnast.

“Jonathan Owens is so lucky to have her as his wife,” one fan said of how Biles showed up for her hubby.

Simone Biles attended husband Jonathan Owens’ latest football game in style.

On Dec. 26, Biles arrived at Soldier Field in Chicago to see Owens’ NFL team, the Chicago Bears, take on the Seattle Seahawks. While making her way into the stadium, Biles immediately garnered a lot of attention for her wardrobe.

The Olympic gymnast sported a custom cropped hoodie and sweatpants that were covered in pictures of Owens.

Owens’ No. 36 could also be seen on the back of Biles’ outfit with her hubby’s last name in bold letters.

Though the Seahawks defeated the Bears 6-3, Owens still looked like he had a nice time alongside his wife, kissing her on the sidelines at the stadium.

Online, people said they really enjoyed seeing Biles support Owens in the way that she did.

“Jonathan Owens is so lucky to have her as his wife,” one fan commented on Instagram in a video that the NFL shared of Biles wearing the custom fit.

“This is such a respectable flex for him,” another said while referencing the Bears’ safety.

“Get you a girl that’ll support you like Simone fellas,” a third added.

In an interview with Olympics.com that was published before Christmas, Biles talked about her game day outfits and teased that the one she was going to wear to Owens’ game against the Seahawks was going to be her best one yet.

“My favorite one so far is one that I haven’t worn yet, and I’m wearing it to Thursday’s game,” she said.

When asked how she comes up with her game day outfits, she said she likes to reach out to creators for things she finds interesting.

“Honestly, I reach out to some of the creators that make the apparel, and I have no ideas. I let them kind of freeball it, and I say, ‘Surprise me,'” she noted. “And then that’s how I piece them together.”

The designer of her latest, and favorite, outfit appears to be Kelly Daley, whom Biles tagged in her Instagram story.

Daley reshared the post to her story and wrote, “my favorite outfit of this season. thank you again for trusting me in this custom design.”