“Disappointed in Myself”: Simone Biles Unhappy Despite Finishing First on Day 1 of US Gymnastics Olympic Trials 2024

Despite a stellar performance in the US Gymnastics Olympic Trials, Simone Biles is feeling disappointed with herself. Eyeing a berth in Paris, Biles showcased her usual brilliance right from the start. Her calm demeanor and smooth movements were classic Biles, and by the end of the night, she found herself at the top of the rankings once again.

Her highlight? A flawless Yurchenko double pike that initially scored a jaw-dropping 15.975 on the vault. Even with such an impressive score, it looks like Simone Biles couldn’t shake off her own high expectations.

However, Biles finished the proceedings with an all-around score of 58.900. Jordan Chiles, who was in hot pursuit, remained second at 56.400. And despite some close shaves on the opening night, Suni Lee stayed put in the third position. But surprisingly, it was Biles who was found fuming after the end of the event. Appearing for an interview on Peacock TV, Simone Biles expressed her disappointment with her demeanor on the balance beam.

Biles stated, “Oh my gosh, beam. I’m so upset about Beam. I’m really disappointed in myself because that’s not how I train and so going forward I’m going to try to compete how I train on that event because I know I’m good at it. I know I can do better so that’s what I’m going to work on.”

Well, looking at her first night’s performance, Biles is looking like her old self from Rio. Surely, she will rectify her balance beam mistakes and come back even stronger tomorrow. Meanwhile, Biles also reflected on how stressful the situation is coming into the trials.

Simone Biles doubles down on the rising tensions 

For most athletes, qualifying for the Olympics is one of their biggest dreams. Naturally, the stress and tensions are sky-high during the Olympic trials. When asked about how much pressure Biles felt, the US gymnast queen pointed out having a “cottonmouth.”

However, she also mentioned that such a situation is ideal for an athlete to come out of their shells and prove their worth to the world. Simone Biles opined, “But you know it’s one of the best pressure situations to be in going into the Olympics because I feel like if we can do this then we can do anything.” 

And not only Simone Biles, but her former teammate, Laurie Hernandez, also echoed similar sentiments. Hernandez, who was present during the trials, stated that she was utterly relieved and enjoyed her retirement. Hernandez also apologized to her parents for making them experience the tension of an Olympic trial.

Thus, with the difficulty set at maximum, it will be interesting to see how champions like Simone Biles endure the fire to come out on the other side as pure gold.