Simone Biles Talks About Her Disappointment at the Tokyo Olympics: “I Thought I Was Going to Get Banned From America.”
October of 2024 One of the best athletes of all time and gymnastics sensation Simone Biles recently shared her thoughts on her turbulent experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she had to make the painful decision to withdraw from multiple competitions. In an interview, Biles opened up about how the criticism she received made her fear that she would be “banned from America.”
The COVID-19 epidemic caused the 2020 Tokyo Games to be postponed, which was originally planned to be Biles’s crowning achievement. Her four gold medals from the Rio 2016 Olympics made her the clear favorite to replicate her success. But as the games progressed.
She said, “I had no idea how things would unfold after Tokyo.” It seemed as though my entire universe had collapsed. I no longer felt like who I was. I came to the realization that I was no longer able to be strong, as athletes are trained to overcome every obstacle. My head and body weren’t in sync, and I realized if I persisted, I may gravely damage myself.”
One of the most talked-about moments of the Games was Biles’ withdrawal from the uneven bars, vault, floor, and all-around competitions; it even eclipsed a few gold-medal performances. She skipped a few events, but she came back for the balancing beam final and finished a challenging Olympics on a bittersweet note by winning a bronze medal.
The Tokyo Games were supposed to mark yet another significant turning point in Biles’ remarkable career. Heading into the competition, she was widely considered the face of Team USA, anticipated to dominate gymnastics like she had in Rio 2016. But when Biles decided to withdraw from the team competition due to a mental block known as “the twisties,” which severely impairs a gymnast’s spatial awareness during routines, the games took an unexpected and dramatic turn.
“This is it for me,” I honestly thought as I took a step back. I’m going to be hated by people. “I felt like I was going to be kicked out of America,” Biles admitted. “I’d never experienced something such before. All your life, you prepare for this.
In the end, Biles made a comeback to compete in the balance beam final, where she won a bronze medal—her seventh Olympic medal—demonstrating her ability to perform well in trying situations. However, the psychological scars from Tokyo took a while to mend.
Biles has emerged as a prominent voice in support of mental health in sports over the last two years, highlighting the fact that athletes are human beings with emotions, limitations, and challenges just like everyone else. “I felt so alone at that moment,” she recounted. However, after speaking up, I understood that I wasn’t by myself. I was able to heal because so many ordinary people and athletes contacted out to say they understood.
From Tokyo, Biles has traveled a path of self-awareness and atonement. She had an incredible comeback to competition in 2023.
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