Superstar American gymnast Simone Biles might not have been at the top of her game during qualifying, but she is grateful to be headed to the Tokyo Olympics.
Biles tweeted out her gratitude for all the support on Monday, one day after qualifying for Team USA's women's gymnastics quad:
“I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ this is just the beginning of the journey!” Simone Biles tweeted.
There was never any real doubt Simone Biles would qualify. Yet, the expectations for the greatest gymnast of all-time have gotten so high, it came as a massive shock when Biles made a few blunders on Sunday evening.
Biles fell off the balance beam and had a couple of slips on the uneven bars and during her floor routine. She said after qualifying she attributes some of the uncharacteristic mistakes to feeling older:
“I’m just old,” Simone Biles said Sunday, via the Daily Beast. “I’m always in pain. Something always hurts.”
Despite the errors, Simone Biles still posted the highest overall score in the all-around competition. It speaks to her utter dominance in the sport, and she will likely hope to build on her exceptional legacy at the Tokyo Olympics later this summer.
Biles won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, including both the team and all-around competitions. At 24 years old, she is perhaps skewing towards the “old” end of the spectrum as far as female gymnasts go. That said, she will almost certainly be regarded as the favorite to win the all-around competition once again.
There might have been a sliver of disappointment on Sunday night, but Simone Biles knows she still has more to prove.
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