Simone Biles has confirmed she wants to compete in the 2024 Olympics – but admitted she ‘will have to take care of herself’ more than she did in Tokyo and is undergoing therapy for ‘s ‘making sure everything is aligned’ after suffering from mental health issues. issues that forced her to withdraw from several events at the 2020 Games.
The 26-year-old gymnast made a triumphant return to the sport last month after a two-year hiatus.
Today she revealed that she is keen to compete at the Games next summer in Paris, France during an appearance on the Today to show.
When host Hoda Kotb asked Simone if she should bet on her taking part in the event, the athlete replied coyly: “Right now I’d say that’s the path I’d love to go down, so that I wouldn’t mind if you put it in the “yes” section.
Simone Biles has confirmed she wants to compete in the 2024 Olympics – but admitted she ‘will have to take care of herself’ more than she did in Tokyo
The gymnast, 26, made a triumphant return to the sport last month (seen) – after a two-year hiatus to focus on her mental health following her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Now, she has hinted that she will be heading to the Games next summer in Paris, France, during a recent appearance on the Today show. She was seen fumbling at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
When host Hoda Kotb asked Simone if she should bet on her taking part in the event, the athlete shyly replied, “For now, I would say that’s the route I would like to go.”
“She’s going to Paris,” Craig Melvin replied enthusiastically, as Simone smiled
“She’s going to Paris,” Craig Melvin replied enthusiastically, while Simone smiled.
The seven-time Olympic medalist stunned everyone after announcing midway through the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021 that she would not be making four of the five event finals.
At the time, she said she suffered from what are called “twisties”, a mental block that makes gymnasts feel like they are “lost in the air”.
She then hinted that it was also due to the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of pedophile doctor Larry Nassar.
She was among more than 150 gymnasts who were abused by former national team doctor Larry during her 30-year career, and in 2019 she revealed the trauma of the assaults had left her struggling with suicidal thoughts.
This time around, she vowed to “take a little more care of herself and listen to her body.”
“I have to take care of myself a little bit more, listen to my body and make sure I take time for the important things in my life, rather than before it was just go, go, go, and then make time afterwards. “, she explained on Today.
“This time it’s intentional, going to therapy and making sure everything is lined up so I can do my best in the gym and be a good wife, good daughter, good friend and all good things. .”
The seven-time Olympic medalist stunned everyone after announcing midway through the Tokyo Olympics that she would not be making four of the five event finals.
She then hinted that it was also due to the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of pedophile doctor Larry Nassar.
She was among more than 150 gymnasts who were abused by former national team doctor Larry during his 30-year career. We saw her talking to her audience
She added that she was going to be “a bit more careful in the way she does things”, adding: “I’m making sure that my mental and physical (states) are both intact. It will be different but it will be good. .
Simone recently walked down the aisle with NFL star Jonathan Owens. The two, who started dating in 2020, tied the knot in Texas in April surrounded by their closest friends and family members.
This time around, she vowed to “take a little more care of herself and listen to her body.”
Jonathan recently started his football season for the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin, while Simone trains in Texas.
And while having a long-distance relationship isn’t easy, Simone told Today they made it through.
“We are both busy but focused on our respective sports. It feels good and we cherish the times we have together,” she said.
A source told DailyMail.com in June that it was Jonathan who convinced Simone to return to gymnastics.
“What a difference love can make. Simone’s identity in gymnastics has been her life and now that her personal life is in such a good place, she is looking to get back into her professional life because she wants to do what she excels at while she still has the time and ability to do so. “, they explained.
“And this comeback will definitely be a whirlwind to see if she’ll come back to the Olympics next, but right now for her it’s one step at a time, she wants to train hard, keep excelling and get to the right frame of because if she had to go back to the Olympics, it would be to win gold.
A source told DailyMail.com in June that it was Simone’s husband, Jonathan Owens, whom she married in April, who convinced Simone to return to gymnastics.
She is back! Simone competed at the US Classic in Illinois in early August (see), where she won the all-around, balance beam and floor exercise titles.
A few weeks later, she won her eighth all-around at the United States Championships (see)
“She doesn’t want to do anything halfway and she only wants the best. Her husband Jonathan was truly her personal champion and it was he who told her to get back to it.
“He knows she would be amazing and he knows he missed it. If and when this upcoming competition goes as well as she wants, she will be more inclined to go all out, strongly consider the Olympics and do what she needs to do to make it happen.
“It will be a process, but she has faith in the process and knows that whatever needs to work will.”
Simone competed at the US Classic in Illinois in early August, where she won the all-around, balance beam and floor exercise titles. A few weeks later, she won her eighth all-around US Championship.
Reflecting on her comeback, the gymnast said she “feels really good” and that it comes down to the fact that she “trusts” her “coach, her teammates and herself, above all”.
“There were times when I would come to the gym and be like, no, this won’t work,” she admitted to Today.
“But then I would give it another day. Just showing up and investing that work and effort came into play.
“As long as I showed up another day and continued to do this work, (the fears) diminished and diminished.
“Right now I still doubt myself at times, but I’m continuing my therapy and making sure everything is aligned.”
