Who’s the GOAT of gymnastics? A question that doesn’t see much difference in the answer, and why’s that? It’s obviously due to Simone Biles. The American gymnast has achieved so much in her career that she’s on everyone’s tongue when there’s an ongoing gymnastics discussion. However, she didn’t achieve this GOAT status in just a single event, but she has had her maturing years in the sport.

Also, for someone who has been in the scene since she was just 6 years old, she has seen everything. There’ve been many moments in her career, but Biles has maintained to stun her audience every time she gets on the mat. However, the gymnast has also met her fair share of critics, but she has always proved them wrong with her prolific performances. This time, too, she has sent out a power statement for the internet trolls.

Simone Biles always wanted to explore at her own pace

Simone Biles rarely succumbed to the criticism she faced. Indeed, she has always been powerful not only with her statements but also through her actions and performance on the mat, which effectively silences the trolls. However, despite the fact that she has been in the sport for a long time, she has always used her experience to empower other female athletes, especially young gymnasts.

The sport is hard, and she knows it. But the challenges have only made her stronger every time she has been on the mat. Every time there’s a big event, Biles always raises the crowd’s expectations, and why so? Her statistics! She has rarely underperformed in her gymnastics career, and people just want her to dominate every time she’s on the mat. However, this burden of expectations sometimes gets carried over to her teammates.

Pressure is never good for any athlete of any sport, and Biles mentioned in an interview with Sports Illustrated, stating, “We don’t ask for that when we’re 6 years old and sign up for it. I wanted to do my sport. I didn’t want people to criticize every little thing that I do. I didn’t want millions and millions of followers. I just wanted to do gymnastics.” Her point? Everyone has their own level of maturing in the sport, and she wants people to understand that time plays a crucial role in such instances.

Even though Biles is the GOAT of the sport, she aspires to achieve her goals in her own unique style, allowing her team to explore their journey in their own unique way. They aren’t robots, but individuals with their own ambitions. Furthermore, she isn’t also fond of the criticism and the trolling. The American gymnast also stressed that she never wanted this popularity; she just wanted to explore the sport, as she loves gymnastics. But do you know, once this adoration completely went away due to a certain problem in her career?

The mental block that almost made her quit gymnastics

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics saw a wave of anticipation and expectations from Simone Biles, as in the Rio Games she secured four Olympic gold medals and a bronze medal. However, the event saw her withdraw after a few performances due to Twisties. These mental blocks hindered the gymnast’s ability to perform, and she even expressed a sense of control over her own body. However, the public’s perception of the gymnast’s situation was not balanced, as she faced a significant amount of hate.

To defend her sister, Adria opened up about this gymnastics-related issue, stating, “It wasn’t like a panic attack. She’s trying one of the most difficult things in the world, and she almost died!” Now, that’s a scary statement. Losing control while performing gymnastics is the last thing a gymnast wants to go through, as any mismatch can cause a serious injury and can also be fatal. Indeed, Biles was scared, not only for her career but for her life. She loved the sport but never expected to go through all this.