Pulling Suni Lee Out of Depression, Simone Biles Stands Behind Gymnast to Save Her From ‘Loser’ Tag at Paris Olympics

Simone Biles did it once, she is doing it once more. When Suni Lee was considering retirement from her elite career, it was Simone Biles who appeared as the messiah. And now, when Suni Lee has faltered in the women’s balance beam final, it is Biles again, who is going miles to uplift the confidence of her young Team USA gymnast. Visibly broken and disappointed after her recent fall in the balance beam finals, Suni Lee was looking dejected. It was then that Simone Biles stepped in to console her and tried to uplift her mood with some crisp pep talks. 

Coach Cecile Landi too, was seen hugging Suni Lee while giving a pat on the back to the Tokyo gold medalist. Biles especially, was seen talking to her animatedly, presumably asking her not to be disappointed. After all, who better than Simone Biles would know how it feels like being tagged a ‘loser’? 

Back in Tokyo, when Biles had to pull out of the Olympics due to her ‘twisties’, more than half of the gymnastics world labeled her as a ‘loser’. This took a huge toll on Biles’ mental health, which she took significant time to come out of. Thus, ensuring that it does go down in the same manner for Suni Lee, the US gymnastics champion was spotted making an extra effort to see Lee smile. 

Coming into the Paris Olympics as the defending all-around champion, Suni Lee has had a pretty good outing so far. After winning the Team gold for her country, Suni Lee secured a couple of bronze medals in the all-around and the uneven bar apparatus. However, touted as one of the favorites to win the balance beam, Suni Lee suffered a disappointing end to her medal contention. 

Performing her usual routine on the beam, Lee lost her balance and had a nasty fall that affected her score significantly. With a 13.100 score, Lee is currently standing in the third position, behind China’s Y. Zhou(14.100), and Italy’s M. Esposito(14.000). Surprisingly, as per the latest news, Simone Biles too, has suffered a shocking fall from the beam. She ended up in the 5th position with a score of 13.100. 

Well, this isn’t the only occasion that Biles has come to the aid of Suni Lee. Suffering from the deadly ‘twisties’ herself, Biles knows how important it is to provide mental support to an athlete when the chips are down. And she did exactly that when Suni Lee was at her most vulnerable self. 

Simone Biles helped Suni Lee to reconsider her retirement plans 

Following the lights and fame of being the Tokyo all-around gold medalist, Suni Lee’s life was plunged into darkness. A medical examination showed that Lee was suffering from a complex kidney disease. Throwing her gymnastics career off the charts, the doctors advised Lee to give up gymnastics for the sake of her health. However, things changed pretty quickly as the medications worked and Lee was soon twisting. 

But even then, the thought of retiring to safeguard her health grasped Lee firmly. Depressed to the core, Lee thought, “In my head, I was already like, OK, I’m done, this is it.” Detailing the immense mental pressure further, Lee stated that every time she turned up for Auburn, the crowd expected her to be perfect. Such a feeling broke her and Suni Lee was grasped by depression. 

It was at this moment that Simone Biles took matters into her own hands. Reflecting on what she said to Lee, Biles stated, “She was, like, ‘I’m not OK…  believe in her gymnastics… I wanted her to trust in her abilities and know she could handle the tough moments.” Thus, every time the US gymnastics is in danger, it is Simone Biles who comes out as the knight in shining armor to save the day. Be it her own career, or her teammates.