Sports writer Abbey Tillotston discusses the comeback of 19-time gold medalist gymnast.
Simone Biles, said to be one of the most
talented gymnasts in the world, is making
a comeback after stepping away from the
sport for almost an entire year. During
the 2020 Olympic Games, the seven-time
Olympic medalist dropped out of the com-
petition before the final round, stunning
America with her decision.
The gymnast experienced an extreme
amount of stress during the competition,
leading to many mistakes while competing
in her events, most notably on vault. Dur-
ing one of her vaults, Biles got lost in the
air, causing her to squat and stumble out
of the landing. Later that day she told her
teammates that she was dropping out of the
competition.
Biles said to her team, “You guys have
trained your whole entire life for this, it’s
going to be fine. I’ve been to the Olympics,
I will be fine.” Biles stated in a Teen Vogue
article, “Walking away from the Olympic
Games was a win in itself. I know a lot of
people thought I failed because they ex-
pected me to go out with five or six medals,
but walking out of it was my biggest win.”
Biles had experienced the twisties
which can make gymnastics extremely
dangerous, especially at the high-level that
she competed. The term twisties is used to
describe a mental block which causes gym-
nasts to lose track of their position while in
mid-air. Since the Olympic Games in 2021,
Biles has made many statements attesting
to the importance of mental health. Some
think that Simone Biles dropping out of the
games was a sign of weakness, or even a
betrayal to the USA Team. Although some
may make these contradictions, Biles has
pushed through and has become an even
bigger inspiration not only to gymnasts,
but to human beings that struggle them-
selves. What happened at that competition
not only shows maturity, but it shows cour-
age.
During her break, Biles became got en-
gaged to her now husband, Jonathan Ow-
ens, an American football player for the
Green Bay Packers. Biles returned to the
gym in Sept.ember 2022, and almost one
year later, won the U.S. Classic Competi-
tion, shedding tears of joy as she makes
this comeback. On Aug. 27, 2023, she be-
came the first gymnast to win eight U.S.
all-around titles. Along with that victory,
Biles is also the oldest woman, at 26 years
old, ever to win an all-around title. On the
night of the 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics
Championships, Biles achieved three titles.
She won the all-around for the balance
beam, floor exercise and broke the tie for
the all-around national championships. On
day two of the competition, Simone’s score
was at a whopping 118.450, securing the
gold medal for the all-around.
We do not know what the future holds
for Biles, but we know she is headed in the
direction of the 2024 Olympic Games in
Paris. Biles is one of the most influential
athletes in the world, inspiring others to
achieve their goals, but more importantly,
listen to themselves.
