The 2024 Olympics was Simone Biles‘ final stop of her ‘redemption tour,’ which started with the U.S. Classic in 2023. However, her ‘Coup de grce’ at the French capital ran into a massive roadblock in the form of an injury during qualification. In a moment that echoed the terrible memory of failure during the vault event at Tokyo 2020, fans saw Biles gingerly walk back off the mat.

It was clear that something had gone awry as the 27-year-old consulted her coach, Cecile Landi. “At first in my head like I’m in the air and I was like, no way that was my Achilles…” Biles revealed in her Netflix docuseries. While it wasn’t her Achilles, it had the potential to ruin her comeback. However, Cecile Landi’s words proved that Biles wasn’t ready to give up.

The entire USA Gymnastics contingent immediately went into overdrive after the qualification round. “We have a good game plan on and she has a compression sleeve to walk around…” Simone Biles’ ex-coach said after the incident. However, it was during a conversation Netflix captured between Landi and trainer Cheryl Thomas that showed how Biles’ mental health improved.

“If she tells you (about any additional issues) and doesn’t tell, me let me know,” Thomas told Landi. However, the coach was confident the 27-year-old would inform Thomas herself. “She’ll tell you. Four years ago? Maybe not, but now she’ll tell you,” Cecile Landi said in Episode 4: I Will Rise, of the Netflix docuseries. She knew, her pupil wouldn’t let what happened in Tokyo repeat itself.

However, that didn’t mean Simone Biles’ was confident she overcame the hurdle easily. “People are gonna think I’m quitting again,” said the seven-time Olympic medalist after the calf injury. Although the gymnast believed in herself, she also felt unsure. “There’s no way this is gonna get better,” Simone Biles thought to herself because the finals were around the corner.

Thankfully, the compression sleeves, thick athletic tape, and physical therapy helped the Olympic icon overcome the momentary hurdle. However, the docuseries also focused on the origins of that injury that nearly jeopardized the ‘redemption tour.’

Simone Biles was in excruciating pain ahead of the Paris Olympics!

The injury happened the moment she attempted a triple-double during the team’s all-around qualification inside Bercy Arena. “As soon as I took off I was like, ‘Oh! that hurt really bad,” Biles confessed. It was a milder version of an excruciating injury that happened while preparing for Paris 2024.

Gymnasts use pits filled with foam to practice high-risk skills such as vaults. While the pit provides a soft landing, things took a turn when Biles awkwardly fell into one. The 27-year-old later realized that she had hyperextended her knees. “Whenever I would land on the floor, I thought I was gonna pass out ’cause it would hurt so bad.” the Olympian explained in the docuseries.

The Olympic icon had to resort to ‘injection’ treatment to heal the injury. While the incident during practice didn’t affect her calf muscle, it could have very well contributed to the defending world champion spraining her calf muscle.