Why Simone Biles Calls Tokyo Olympics Performance a "Trauma Response"

As a huge fan of gymnastics and someone who has been following Simone Biles’ incredible career since her early days, I can’t help but be in awe of her latest achievements. Her dedication, hard work, and natural talent have once again placed her in the history books, as she surpassed Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 23 World medals by winning her 24th and 25th medals at the 2019 World Championships.

Simone Biles is looking back at her road to healing ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Before participating in her third Olympics, the gymnast with the most medals in the world looked back on the challenges she faced at the 2020 Olympic Games. These difficulties included withdrawing from certain events due to mental health issues and experiencing the “twisties,” a condition that nearly ended her career.

In her interview on the Netflix series “Simone Biles Rising,” which premiered on July 17, Biles expressed that the past events have triggered a survival response in her as a traumatic reaction.

In 2018, Larry Nassar, who previously worked for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University as a doctor, was given a prison sentence ranging from 40 to 175 years for sexually abusing numerous young female gymnasts, including Simone Biles and other members of the US Olympic team, under the false pretense of providing medical care.

As an obsessed fan, I can relate to Biles’ feelings when she says, “Everything that has unfolded, I’ve been pushing down, suppressing it, waiting until my athletic journey comes to an end so I could go back and set things right.” Sadly for her, this incident occurred at the Olympics. She admitted, “I didn’t receive the necessary care before because I believed I was fine.”

During the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, following a postponement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Biles regained her competitive form and secured a bronze medal in the balance beam competition. However, her self-assurance had waned.

After Tokyo, I was utterly devoid of confidence in myself. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to try again, as you can imagine. I felt despondent, asking myself, “Is this truly the end of my career? That’s unfortunate.”

“I’ve been through so much in gymnastics, and it’s left me feeling afraid. But I refuse to let fear control me any longer. I don’t want this sport to take one more thing from me. It’s important for me to end things on my own terms.”

Look back at the times Biles proved she is the GOAT…

In the end, with a solid network of encouragement nearby, Biles resumed her gym training and came back to competitive gymnastics in 2023 following a two-year hiatus – triumphing in numerous events and securing her place on her third Olympic squad.

In the documentary, Biles expressed, “On my return this time, it’s primarily for my own benefit. Yet, I don’t want to regret in ten years by thinking, ‘What if I had attempted another Olympic cycle?'”

She no longer wished to be fearful of gymnastics. With all the advancements and terrifying incidents in this field, I’ve been deeply apprehensive, explaining, “I couldn’t let it rob me of one more thing.” Additionally, she expressed, “Leaving on my own accord was essential.”

Look back at the times Biles proved she is the GOAT…

Biles was one of 17 people who received the nation’s highest civilian honor in 2022.

In 2013 at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Belgium, I, Simone Biles, amazed everyone by qualifying for the all-around competition in first place. I also advanced to the finals for vault in second, uneven bars in sixth, balance beam in fifth, and floor exercise in first position. This achievement made me the first American woman since 1991 to qualify for both the all-around and all four event finals. At only 16 years old, I proudly claimed the world all-around title as the seventh American woman to do so, and the first Black woman in this esteemed role.

Surprisingly enough, the talented young gymnast holds the distinction of having four gymnastic moves named in her honor. One of these is the double layout with a half twist, which she first showcased in her floor routine during the 2013 U.S. Classic’s podium training. Eight years prior to this, London Phillips had executed the move domestically in 2005. Simultaniously, Biles managed to master it at the 2013 World Championships, resulting in the recognition and tribute. As of June 2021, a mere four gymnasts have successfully accomplished the Biles-on-floor exercise.

Back in 2023, I found myself standing on the podium yet again, triumphantly holding up my 27th golden medal from the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. This was an incredible moment for me, as it marked a decade since my first world title at the tender age of 16. Not only did this achievement break the record for the most world medals and Olympic medals (7) in combined total, but with a grand sum of 34 medals under my belt, I couldn’t help but marvel at the journey that led me here.

At the 2015 U.S. National Championships, Biles demonstrated once more that she was a formidable competitor by earning her third consecutive all-around title. She joined an elite group of athletes as the second woman to achieve this feat, thirty-three years after the first, Kim Zmeska, accomplished it.

In 2015 at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Biles concluded her routine with a remarkable final score of 60.399, making it three straight all-around titles for her in the World Gymnastics Championships – a feat never achieved by a woman before. This triumph added to her collection of gold medals, reaching a grand total of 10 – a record for the most women’s gold medals in World Championship history.

Biles has consistently spoken out against her critics regarding body image issues. Back in 2016, she openly declared her comfort with her own body on Twitter. More recently, in 2020, she made a powerful statement by announcing her intention to no longer compete with societal beauty standards and the harmful culture of cyberbullying, emphasizing that no one has the right to dictate what beauty is or should be. Absolutely, she aced that message too.

At the 2018 World Championships in Doha, Biles became the first female gymnast since Daniela Silivaș in 1988 to earn a medal on every event at a single Olympic Games or World Championships. This impressive feat came just hours after she went to the hospital due to kidney stone pain, but Biles’ determination saw her return and help Team USA secure first place. Taking to Twitter during this time, she expressed her resolve, stating “the stone could wait.” What an inspiring display of perseverance!

At the 2018 World Championships, Biles introduced a new vault named after her: a roundoff back handspring with half turn entry, followed by a front stretched somersault with two twists. As of June 2021, Biles is the sole female gymnast who has executed this jaw-dropping vault, which she first showcased during selection camp.

Biles topped her awe-inspiring 2018 maneuver with an remarkable balance beam feat. She had begun practicing the “double-twisting double-tucked salto backwards dismount “from the beam as early as 2013. However, she first showcased it at the 2019 World Championships, where it received the maximum score H. Biles felt let down by the underappreciation of this skill, but regardless of the controversy surrounding its rating, she flawlessly executed it during qualifications and thus, the Biles dismount was born.

At the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, Biles delivered an exceptional showing, allowing her to surpass the previous record of 23 World medals held by gymnast Vitaly Scherbo. She added two more golden medals to her collection, bringing her total to a remarkable 25.

In April 2021, Biles announced her decision to leave Nike and join Athleta. According to her interview with the Wall Street Journal, she believed that this change aligned not only with her athletic accomplishments but also with her values as an advocate for women and children. She added that Athleta supports her as a person beyond her role as a gymnast and encourages the social changes she wishes to bring about, making it a welcome shift for her.

In May 2021, the female athlete achieved a historic feat by executing the Yurchenko double pike maneuver on the vault for the first time during her return to competition after more than a year-long absence. This groundbreaking vault was initially assessed with a score of 6.6, making it the highest-scoring vault in women’s gymnastics to date.

On June 6, 2021, I made history once more by claiming my seventh U.S. senior women’s all-around title, making me the first woman to do so. The feeling of winning, particularly as I prepare for my second Olympic appearance, is deeply emotional for me. The fact that I’ve managed to achieve this milestone after such a challenging year is truly mind-blowing. I can’t express enough gratitude towards everyone who has come out to cheer us on; your support means the world to me.

In June 2021, Biles caused a stir on social media when she unveiled a new bedazzled leotard featuring a goat image. According to Marie Claire, she revealed that the inspiration behind this design was to respond to her critics. “Critics had been joking about her leotards, saying things like ‘if she puts a goat on it, blah, blah, blah.’ Biles took their taunts seriously and decided to create a design that would infuriate the haters while delighting her fans.” And, as usual, we can’t help but admire her creativity!

2024-07-18 19:48

Why Simone Biles Calls Tokyo Olympics Performance a “Trauma Response”

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