Simone Biles at 27 years old, is the oldest US national champion. 27, old? Well, not in most sports, but gymnastics is a different game. Elite female gymnasts typically retire in their early to mid-twenties, making Biles a seasoned veteran both in age and experience. She started gymnastics at 6, which she once revealed was actually late for the sport: “Usually you start in ‘mommy and me’ classes or as soon as you can walk.” So imagine dedicating your entire life to reaching the pinnacle of your sport, not once but twice, only to face intense scrutiny for withdrawing due to pressure. That’s exactly what happened to Biles at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

She could have easily hung up her leotard, having achieved everything by 19. But her comeback is a fierce clap back at her critics. Now, as she gears up for her third Olympics and prepares to compete in the 2024 Paris Women’s Qualifications, Carly Patterson, the first all-around champion for the US at a non-boycotted Olympics, has defended Biles’ past decision in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports.

Gymnastics Hall of Famer Carly Patterson backs Simone Biles’ 2021 decision before the GOAT’s Paris Olympics comeback

Carly Patterson, a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame who was cheering Simone Biles and the 2024 Paris Olympians at the US trials last month, opened up about the pressures and mental health aspects of the sport, especially what it would be like to be in Simone’s shoes. She shared, “It’s hard to say because, like I said, I’ve never really felt that and been in that place mentally. And so I think it probably depends on each person and how you’re feeling inside yourself, right? And then you have to go from there and make the best decision for yourself, which is what she did.”

Simone Biles was called a “quitter” and all sorts of vile names for her decision to withdraw from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to the pressure of the world on her shoulders, her mental health, and the “Twisties.” She was already a 5-time Olympic medalist with 4 Olympic golds. But it didn’t matter when it came to social media platforms ripping her apart for her decision to withdraw. Carly Patterson defended Simone Biles and condemned this backlash, saying, “The internet, you know, they can say anything. Everybody has the courage to say anything behind a computer screen, things that they would never say to anybody’s face. And the thing about it is, for anything in gymnastics, even whether it’s mental, whether it’s physical, whether it’s them not performing their best, people are so quick to tear people down so easily.”

It takes years for gymnasts to even get to level 10 in the sport, and the journey to the Olympics is a whole other ball game. Carly Patterson told EssentiallySports, “And these are people that most of the time have never even done gymnastics or a sport and they don’t know what goes into it or how difficult it truly is, or they’ve never ever and never will be under a pressure situation like Olympic trials, the Olympic games, like all of these things that we have to deal with. And it is very, very difficult mentally, physically, and emotionally for us to be able to do this and to basically make it look effortless like we don’t ever struggle, right?”

She continued to share the same message that many athletes have spoken up about: that our athletes are human too. Carly said, “But they don’t ever see the falls, the failures, and the struggles that we have daily in a gym. And they just think that we should go out there and be absolutely perfect. And if we’re not, like I said, they’re so easily to come and quickly tear down and to critique every little thing and critique you apart. And that’s just not fair. People forget that everyone is human.”

Carly continued, “And it’s difficult no matter what, no matter how many hours you train, no matter how many times you do it, you have to be able to shut those people out. And it’s easier said than done. It’s really hard. And that’s kind of the way I’ve looked at it any time that I’ve gotten hate, critiques, or people that just have no clue.”

Simone’s two cents for couch critics echo the sentiment of Carly Patterson’s wisdom

Reflecting on Carly Patterson’s words to EssentiallySports, it’s clear she and Simone Biles share similar feelings about the social media hate they’ve faced. On the “Call Her Daddy,” podcast, Biles gave us a raw look into the backlash she received after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, saying, “I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now. That was my first thought. I was like, holy sh*t, what are they gonna say about me? Because usually if you go to the Olympics and you flop or whatever it is, everybody on their couch eating those little chips.”

Simone even joked that she thought she was going to be banned from America, recalling, “That’s what they tell you. Don’t come back if it’s not gold. Gold or bust, don’t come back.” The most decorated gymnast also revealed this wasn’t her first rodeo with harsh critics. After winning four golds and a bronze on balance beam in 2016, she shared, “After Rio, I got a bronze on beam and I was shunned. People were like, ‘Throw that medal away. You should have got a gold.'”

Despite the criticism, Simone Biles treasured that bronze medal. “When I got that bronze, you couldn’t tell me it was a bronze. It felt like a gold to me,” she said, highlighting the ridiculous standards she was held to. Now, as she prepares to return to the Olympic stage at the Bercy Arena, she’s still facing haters but with a clapback on her Instagram stories. Posting a picture that read, “Olympic gymnast does a slight wobble after a never-before-seen or attempted tumbling combo. Me on my couch covered in Cheetos: ‘Yeah… you gotta stick that landing.'”

Simone teased, “No but for real, y’all always couch judging & coaching.” With these insights, Simone Biles and Carly Patterson remind us that it’s easy to critique from the comfort of your couch, but it’s a whole different ball game when you’re out there making history. What do you think about their perspective? Share your thoughts in the comments below!