On July 27, 2021, Simone Biles unexpectedly dropped out of the women’s gymnastics team all-around final in the Tokyo Olympics. After she completed her vault and did not do the skill she planned to do and barely landed on her feet, it was obvious that she was not fit to carry on in the competition. Later that day she announced that she was struggling with her mental health and would be withdrawing from the rest of the competition. While she did receive support from the public, there were still some people on twitter who didn’t seem to agree with this decision.
Biles revealed that during her vault she got lost in the air and had no idea where she was. This is called the Twisties. She said that her “mind and body were not in sync.” It was a miracle that she landed on her feet and didn’t get injured. Throughout that week Biles continued to pull out of events. She told her coaches and team doctor that she was not in the right headspace. When the USA’s star athlete drops out of competition for a mental health issue it should be obvious that the public would be critical. People all over social media and news outlets began to attack her.
Before the last gymnastics event of the Tokyo Olympics, it was announced that Biles would compete in the women’s balance beam final. She delivered a beautiful beam routine and won the bronze medal. Although she was met with a lot of criticism, she was also praised for her bravery and strength for stepping away when she needed to because that has never been done in the sport. Despite that, Simone returned from the Tokyo Olympics with two medals but feeling like a “failure”. As much as she tried not to let them, the online comments still got to her. Biles explained that “a lot of people don’t understand because it’s not an injury that you can see.” She stood up against the backlash and reminded people that athletes are human and need to put their mental and physical health first.
She opened up more about her experience in Tokyo in the years following, saying that she was depressed after the Olympics and didn’t know if she would ever compete again. Biles has been open about seeing a therapist and how that has helped her get back into the right mindset. After she took two years off from gymnastics completely she decided she was ready to come back and compete for a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She said that she went into this olympic run with a whole different view on the sport. Biles stated, “Gymnastics is something that I do, and it’s not who I am as a person”. She said she wanted to go out and have fun doing what she loves, rather than focusing so much on the medals and winning.
Biles returned to competitive gymnastics in the summer of 2023 at the US Classic and she came back like she never left, winning the competition by 5 points. In other competitions leading up to the Paris Olympics she displayed total dominance. In late June 2024, Biles was set to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials. This would secure her ticket to Paris and complete the comeback she never thought was possible. And like always she came out and delivered beautiful routines and won the competition and a spot on the US Olympic women’s gymnastics team.
Biles went into Paris saying this was her “redemption tour”. In multiple interviews she opened up about making sure that she was mentally and physically ready for the games by seeing her therapist and team doctors often. Even after everything she has gone through after her last Olympics, people telling her she’s too old, and taking a long break from gymnastics, everyone still expected nothing but perfection from Biles, and that she gave.
Her first medal came from team finals where she and the rest of team USA gymnastics, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera, displaced dominance over all the other countries and won a team gold medal. She then started individually by winning gold in All Around finals, then another gold in vault finals by competing her own skill “The Biles II”. She finished out her Olympics by winning a silver medal in floor finals, with Rebeca Andrade of Brazil winning the gold. They had been neck and neck all competition and proved to be Biles’s biggest threat of her whole elite career. Biles left Paris with 4 new olympic medals and a legacy that can never be matched.
Simone Biles is now a 11-time olympic medalist and 3-time Olympian. She also has won 30 world medals, has 5 skills named after her, and is the most decorated gymnast of all time. Aside from the records and medals, Simone has shown to be nothing but an inspiration to the world. She has shown athletes everywhere that you can prioritize your mental health and still be successful in your sport. Simone has not only proved to be the GOAT of gymnastics but also for advocating for mental health. We might not ever see Simone Biles compete again, and if we don’t, there is no denying that she has left her mark.
