“I was emotional because it was my first worlds here, 10 years ago, and then now my sixth one, so it’s crazy,” Biles told reporters after the competition. “But I swear, I do have something in my eye that’s been bothering me for like four hours and I cannot get it out… So while I was looking up there, it was like a combination of both.”

The champion’s success is particularly poignant this year. She only returned to competing this summer after stepping back following the 2020 Olympic Games, which were held in Tokyo in 2021. At the time, Biles was experiencing something gymnasts call the “twisties,” a very dangerous change in perception that makes it extremely difficult to land safely when doing their gravity-defying moves in the air. That year, she withdrew from some events effected by the condition, but won bronze at the balance beam final.

During the world championships, Biles has earned two golds so far, including one during the U.S. team final on Wednesday, and she is still set to compete in the women’s vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor routine. She will likely make her return to the Olympics in Paris which are set for 2024.