Simone Biles had labeled the Paris Olympics as her redemption tour. But in reality, it probably felt much greater than that. The gymnast who was being called a ‘quitter’ for bowing out of the Tokyo Games finally had her winning moment, not once but multiple times at Bercy Arena. And if you ask her, something about this time was different—surreal and distinct from anything she had experienced before.

Speaking to Aly Raisman and the Olympics.com, Simone Biles recently got questioned that she entered Rio with the crown of being the G.O.A.T. And ever since, for the past 8 years, she has carried the weight of being considered the best in the business. So how did she manage that? To which Biles replied, “A lot of training with Cecile and Laurent, a lot of hours with my therapist, making sure all the ducks are in a row so that I can perform as well as I want to.”

With a slight chuckle and a sense of relief, she added, “So, after all is said and done, a lot of weight is off my shoulder. I feel so much better now that it’s done, because we know how hard that is.” Biles continued, “Especially to attain something that’s so big, and to just even do it again was an amazing accomplishment, to just even make all-around final, and then to come out with a gold medal, I was like, oh my gosh, I did it.”

Biles’ score of 59.131 from the all-around finals cruised her to a historic mark. She had clutched the all-around gold for the first time in Rio, and in 8 years, she experienced that again. With this, she peaked to the summit that hadn’t been touched in the past 56 years. Naturally, Biles would have been in disbelief. And to date, she confesses that the Paris Olympics feats feel surreal: “But I still just, like, I can’t believe it.”

After her Paris Olympics achievement, Simone Biles now prides herself on having 11 Olympic medals. And this is not the first time she is opening up about how ecstatic she has been to reach this count. She had previously mentioned, “I’ve accomplished way more than in my wildest dreams.” This feat makes her the most decorated American gymnast, which is a notable milestone. And more importantly, it puts an end to the unwanted tags that some associate with her after her Tokyo withdrawal.

Simone Biles Paris stint was different in many aspects

Back in 2020, Simone Biles entered the Tokyo battleground hoping to get back home with multiple medals. Her Rio count was four: all-around, floor, vault, and team. And this time, the expectations from her were far more lofty. However, she struggled with the ‘twisties’ and had to make a premature exit from the competition. While she did that, keeping in mind her mental health, the criticism that she received could not be ruled out. ‘Selfish,’ ‘quitter of the year,’ ‘a shame to this country’ were among the brutal words that were being used for her.

But the Paris Olympics were nothing like this. Right from the start, Simone Biles prioritized her training and therapy time, both. She credited her good mental health for her Paris marvel too, saying, “Being in a good mental spot, seeing my therapist every Thursday is kind of religious for me.” And the results had been evident. She put up an exemplary show and confessed to feeling a lot lighter compared to her earlier Olympic runs. What do you think of this? Let us know below.

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