“If I don’t make it to Paris, it won’t absolutely crush me,” 23 times World Champion told Vanity Fair in January 2024. However, as June rolls around, the likelihood of Simone Biles securing a spot on the Olympic team seems almost assured, given her remarkable performances throughout the season. With a stellar record of sweeping medals across all apparatuses, Biles has demonstrated her unparalleled skill and dominance in gymnastics. 

A resurfaced social media video reveals a younger Simone Biles, aged 22, expressing doubts about her ability to compete at a high level in 2024 due to concerns about her age, despite her remarkable achievements. Yet, given her continued excellence and unwavering dedication, age appears to be just a number for the exceptional athlete. 

Throwback to when Simone Biles said she won’t participate in the 2024 Olympics

A recent tweet by @ILoovEnglish is going viral since it features a younger Simone Biles saying how she probably won’t compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Primarily because she’ll be too “old.” They captioned it, “😂 2019 Interview where Simone Biles is asked about competing at the #Paris2024 Olympics she says “I’ll be pretty old, maybe in the stands but probably not on the floor competing” AH! The old Simone would be happy to know she’s still the GOAT and the best gymnast in the world 🔥”. 

However, that is not the case, as Simone Biles has been taking 2024 by storm. Ever since the 27-year-old returned from the hiatus to focus on her mental health, Biles is back and stronger than ever before. The video is going viral because the disparity between what Biles said in 2019 is so starkly opposite of what she is capable of doing in 2024. Her absence at this point in the Olympic cycle is unimaginable, especially after her back-to-back wins.

At the Core Hydration Classics, she won the AA title with a score of 59.500 after defeating 49 senior gymnasts. She went on to the 2024 Xfinity Games and dominated there as well. Over the two days, she won gold in all four events. Scoring 14.650 on uneven bars, 15.80 on vaults, 15.200 on floor exercise, and 14.800 on balance beam. With these laurels, she was the topmost choice to qualify for the Olympic trials from where the Olympic team will ultimately be made. 

Biles poised to make the Olympic team for a third time

Simone Biles qualified for the trials by a large margin at the US Championships two weeks ago and is ready to make her 3rd Olympic team. Even Biles’ mother has expressed how much it means for Simone to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nellie Biles told Today, “The important thing is to be there for Simone [Biles] and making sure that she understands that her family is there giving her her full support.” Adding, “And I am going to be really happy and probably shedding a few tears just because I’m going to be so emotional.” 

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was a particularly rough patch for Biles as she withdrew after failing to perform a spin. As of now, we can consider Biles as a lock for the Olympics. Even her coach, Cecile Landi, expressed how this might be the best that Simone had ever been. Especially since she’s determined to enjoy the process. Biles has often said, “Hard days are the best because that’s when champions are made.” Keeping this mantra alive, she is ready to go into the trials with a steady determination. The whole nation will be cheering her on as she tries to make it to the Olympic team.