With the 2024 Paris Olympics now in the rearview mirror, American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles admitted she is looking forward to finishing the competition.
Biles, 27, memorably withdrew from the 2021 Tokyo Games due to mental issues and attempted a comeback three years later in the French capital.
While her adventure was a success, winning three golds and one silver, Biles admitted she was human and felt nervous stepping onto the mat. She also spoke of the relief she felt after her final event.
“Going in, I’m not that nervous,” she said. Olympic Games.comComing out is like a breath of fresh air. I feel much better now that it’s over because you know how stressful it is.
“I couldn’t wait for it to be over,” Biles continued. “But I still tried to remember every moment of the process.”
Simone Biles admitted she couldn’t wait for the Olympics to end
Biles competed in Paris after infamously withdrawing from the competition in Tokyo
Biles also acknowledged that going to therapy was a key factor in her good performance and in finding balance inside and outside of gymnastics.
“I owe a lot to therapy, to making sure I’m doing well physically and mentally,” Biles shared. “I feel like that’s where I find my strength nowadays. I think that carries over to the competition floor.”
Biles led a young team to gold in the individual all-around, team all-around and vault. She also won silver on the floor.
Despite becoming the most decorated Olympic gymnast, she admitted that this brought with it challenges and detailed the difference between team and individual competition.
“The girls can tell you that,” Biles said. “We were way more nervous in the all-around than we were in the team competition. In the team competition, we were really calm and collected and we were having a great time. And then I think reality hit us and we were like, ‘This is an all-around competition, this is pretty important.'”
‘I felt pretty good during the warm-up, but not like I did when I was playing in teams. I really had to calm my nerves and make sure I was in a good mental state before going out.
“I didn’t have the best routine (on the bar). I had to refocus and re-center myself so I could rest well during the competition. But it was crazy. The nerves were there and they were evident.”
Biles won three gold medals and one silver, becoming the most decorated Olympic gymnast
The Americans took gold in the All-Around Team competition
Her husband, Jonathan Owens, her mother, Nellie, and her father, Ron, cheered her on in Paris.
Biles also praised her support system and their presence in Paris. In addition to her parents, who were supportive, her husband, Jonathan Owens, was in the stands, counting numbers and cheering on his wife.
This came in especially handy when she fell to third place after a botched bar routine.
“I didn’t even see him. I had to look at Jonathan and think, ‘Where am I?'”
“I’d never been in a situation like that before. So I had to go in there, work on my cues and think about what my therapist had told me if I ever felt anxious.”
Biles’ Paris run was unforgettable, however. Already hailed as the “greatest of all time,” her athletic future remains uncertain as the next Olympics will be held on American soil in Los Angeles.
“After all is said and done, it’s a huge weight off my shoulders,” Biles said. “I feel so much better now that I’ve accomplished it because we know how hard it is. Especially to accomplish something so big. And to do it again was an incredible accomplishment.”
“To make it to the all-around final and then win a gold medal… I thought, ‘Oh my God, I did it,’ but I still can’t believe it.”