Friends and family could see it. The fans could see it. Even Taylor Swift could see it. Simone Biles was behind.
Competing in US Olympic Trials in June, the American looked happy as if she was enjoying it gymnastics and again after a fight at Tokyo 2020.
The Texan pulled out of the team event on the first day of the finals at the Ariake Gymnastics Center to take care of her mental health after an incident of flipping, described by Biles herself as “her mind and body being out of sync.”
The result was her losing aerial awareness of her first device, the vault, appearing disoriented on landing after performing a 1.5 Yurchenko twist instead of a 2.5.
From that moment on, Biles knew what she had to do, face of the Games or not: withdraw from the competition.
Making the very personal decision allowed the seven-time Olympian to protect her mental health, physical well-being and allow her teammates to continue undisturbed by their matches.
Biles quickly went from the team’s leading scorer to their most ardent supporter, cheering them on from the sidelines throughout their silver medal finish.
Biles, one of the biggest draws in Japan, had, through a very personal decision, brought the conversation around mental wellness and self-care into the spotlight. Missing the individual competition, Biles returned for just one apparatus final, the beam, where she won a valuable bronze medal.
However, despite widespread support from both inside and outside the sport, Biles still had issues to overcome if she was to, first of all, get healthy and second, continue Paris 2024 and third Olympic Games.
Treatment included retiring from the sport, spending many hours in therapy and enjoying life outside of the gym, including marrying National Football League player Jonathan Owens.
“I was married to fitness … now it’s just a part of my day,” Biles said of her new perspective.
After a two-year hiatus, the international audience saw for the first time the return of Biles to World Championship 2023 in Antwerp. By winning four golds and one silver, Biles became the most decorated athlete in World Championships history, with a total of 30 medals.
Way to announce her return, then.
“It was emotional and it means everything,” he said afterwards. “The race, everything I’ve put in to get back to this place, I feel comfortable and confident enough to race. It was a lot.”
Staking her claim for a spot on the USA team after the trials was the final requirement before she punched her ticket to the French capital for the XXXIII Olympiad.
That’s where Taylor Swift comes in.
Commenting on a post featuring Biles’ floor routine, which features some of her music, Swift wrote:
“I’ve watched it so many times and she’s still not ready. She’s ready for it.”
The slightly boring answer was in reference to Swift’s new track, ‘Ready for it?’ but the point is made. Swift, like the rest of us, could see the joy in the American’s performance as she secured selection for her third Olympics.
And we loved seeing it.
