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Simone Biles reaffirmed her amazing legacy during the 2024 Paris Olympics, claiming gold and representing the country with excellence. But she went through a rigorous process to prepare for the global sports competition, according to her comments in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com's Scott Bregman. The article detailed the sacrifices that she made leading to her gold-medal victory in Paris last August.
Biles made a huge decision in 2021, withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics in an effort to prioritize her mental health. She used that time as a moment to recalibrate, even doing Thursday therapy sessions every week in her latest competitive efforts. Per the interview, the new focus gave her even more preparation to compete.
“I feel like [there were] only one or two times where I got lost. But we knew how to regulate all those emotions, feelings, and doubts that came with it. We didn’t freak out too much. We’re just like, ‘It’s okay. Let’s not panic. Let’s go back to basics. We’ll work our way up, and then, in a couple of days, you’re fine.’”
Biles has previously spoken about her struggles with the “twisties,” a phenomenon explained by Olympian and former teammate Laurie Hernandez to Olympics.com. The twisties can occur during high-level elements, typically on floor or vault, making it challenging for a gymnast to mentally and physically align with the specific skill their body is performing.
“The rhythm is off, and your brain will like stutter step for half a second, and that's enough to throw off the whole skill,” Hernandez said in a 2021 interview. “And, so, it happens, and it takes a second to get over that.”
Biles spoke about confronting that fear and the trust she had to regain in herself as an athlete.
“I thought about that every single day, but not in a negative way. It was in a more positive way…There was always a part of me that thought what if? But that was obviously my anxiety talking.”
