It should come as no surprise that Simone Biles was one of the most anticipated athletes at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, given her superstar status and tremendous talent.
The 27-year-old Biles, who is widely regarded as the best gymnast of all time, finished off the comeback tale that started with her troubles in Tokyo four years ago with a neat four medal haul (three golds and one silver).
Some readers may remember Biles from the previous Olympics, when she experienced what are known as “Twisties,” a condition in which a gymnast essentially perceives a disconnect between their body and brain.
In the end, Biles had no choice but to leave Tokyo, and she has acknowledged that she believed her career was finished. Despite entering the competition with a significant amount of baggage, the icon managed to recover in time for Paris in 2024.
While Simone may be most known for her extraordinary success and nearly faultless performances, she is not immune to pressure.
After a moment of self-doubt and instability on a worldwide scale, one can only fathom the inner serenity required to be able to deliver time and time again when you’re considered the finest that’s ever been.
Therefore, Biles would undoubtedly be pardoned for handling the pressure and anticipation going into the Olympics in Paris this year in any way she thought fit. However, some were quick to condemn her for choosing, it seemed, to withdraw to the seclusion of her own room rather than dine with other athletes at the Olympic Village.
Naturally, Biles had a perfectly valid reason for doing so (not that she feels compelled to defend herself)…
The way Biles has performed in competition over the last two weeks makes her troubles in the Tokyo Olympics seem like a thing of the past. Nevertheless, there was a moment—not too far in the past—when it appeared that the little star might never be able to compete.
Biles was forced to rely on the infamous “Twisties” during the Games four years ago, which prevented her from carrying out any of her daring and dangerous gravity-defying stunts.
“I’m battling the devils. “I’m going to fight it for you guys, even though I’m fighting demons right now,” she recalled telling her teammates at the moment. Though it quickly became clear that Biles was not in a fit state to be performing her routine, she chose to press on.
“I was afraid I would not be allowed to enter the country. Because that’s what they say: ‘If it’s not gold, don’t come back,'” she subsequently revealed.
In the end, Biles made the sensible decision to withdraw from the competition, and the competitor herself wasn’t sure if she would ever again represent her nation internationally. She took the required time off to heal, then triumphantly returned to win four medals in Paris this year.
Even though the French capital provided her with the perfect chance to conclude her career in a way worthy of her legacy—if that was, in fact, her Olympic farewell—her immense star power and notoriety also offered challenges.
According to sources, athletes started to voice their dissatisfaction with the circumstances they were living in at the Olympic Village, which led to more inspection of Paris. In the middle of the criticism, Biles herself announced on TikTok that she had given up dining at the Olympic Village because she was constantly being approached by people who wanted to snap selfies with her.
I was trembling every time I sat down to eat because of my extreme nervousness. And I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t stop shaking,” she said.
Instead, Biles chose to stay in her room and eat meals that she had purchased from a grocery shop. This decision caused a lot of people to share their thoughts online.
“It’s awful to be anxious. I truly suffer from it. One user wrote, “I’m so happy hers is under control enough that she got to stay focused and compete in the Olympics.”
One more person said, “I don’t blame her.” Every action she takes or doesn’t take is being closely examined with a fine-toothed comb.
Others, meanwhile, didn’t seem to comprehend Biles’ situation as much.
She’s stuck up, someone said emphatically.
Another person said, “[She] doesn’t eat with the peasants lol.”
A third commented on Biles’ choice, saying, “That’s a really silly reason.”
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