Simone Biles made TIME 2017 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. That announcement was released on Thursday, April 20. The 20-year-old gymnast is at the top of the leaderboard on ABC's popular competition show, "Dancing with the Stars." Her professional partner is Sasha Farber.

The list includes other celebrities such as comedian Leslie Jones, singer John Legend, actress Emma Stone, and many others.

How list was compiled

Time editor-in-chief Nancy Gibbs explains that those on the list are not there because of their popularity. She said the names on the list are not ranked, but the annual list is based on people's accomplishments and how they intersected with the American people during the previous year.

Some people might find it strange that some controversial figures are on the list. Some of them include White House adviser Stephen Bannon, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and FBI Director James Comey. In other words, people didn't make the list because the American people agree with them.

Gibbs added that the 14th annual list is more complicated than the ones from previous years because 2016 was filled with political debates and social media trends that were unlike other years. Also, the list is divided into different sections. For instance, there are several categories such as artists, leaders, titans, pioneers, and icons. Simone Biles was included with other icons.

Guest contributor's comments

It is so interesting that each person on the list wrote something about someone else on the list. For instance, comedian Leslie Jones wrote comments about Biles. The "Saturday Night Live" cast member wrote that Simone was born to do gymnastic. She added that she is the best of all, not the best black gymnast, but she is inspiring because she is the best gymnast.

When you see the entire list of the most influential people in the world, you will also see what another person on the list wrote about someone else.

Why Simone Biles is on the list

It is no surprise that Simone Biles made the list. She became everybody's sweetheart after her performances in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro where she won four gold medals.

In Brazil, she also won the hearts of millions with her broad smile and her near perfect scores. She became the most decorated American gymnast with a total of 19 Olympic and World Championship medals.

Biles has been in the public eye since her wins at the Summer Olympics. Currently, she is seen by millions on ABC's Season 24 of "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday nights at 8 p.m.