After overcoming all obstacles, Simone Biles is all set to appear in the games that hail three Latin words as the motto- Citius-Altius-Fortius. Those words mean, Faster-Higher-Stronger and resonate in every staunch champion of the game. Simone Biles knows that legacy. Coming to the US Olympic gymnastics trials, she reflected on those words firmly, keeping herself way above anyone’s reach. Ultimately, her score in the trials qualified her for the Paris Olympics. But her finesse proves that the 27-year-old is still the last word in the sport. So at this juncture, Simone’s heroics on the mat should get the limelight. 

However, some fans believe that the gymnast’s traumatic past continues to be exploited by certain sections of the media. These concerns gained traction after Simone Biles faced uncomfortable questions yesterday following her victory in the US trials in Minneapolis.

Simone Biles’ achievement gains less compared to her traumatic past 

The gymnastics world is thrilled to witness Simone Biles soaring once again. After her 2023 season, the legend has returned, faster, higher, and stronger. Through her gravity-defying routines, Simone has left fans in disbelief, eager to uncover her secret to success. However, during the press conference following her qualification at the US Olympic trials, a section of the media posed a question about her preparations for the Paris Olympics, particularly in light of her ‘twisties’ experience in Tokyo. The question seemed to be off-footing on an evening when Simone Biles had claimed her third Olympic qualification. Evidently, her achievement took the backseat while the ‘twisties’ topic usurped the moment.

Even Simone Biles herself may not have been able to connect the dots, as she didn’t let the interviewer complete his question. She made her straightforward answer, and it was not meant to be pacifying. Rather, clarifying about all those individuals, who are waiting to compare her in the light of Tokyo Olympics scale, she said, “They want to see us fail”. Later, the four-time Olympic champion narrated about her take on such critics, veiling as fans. But for the gymnastics community, the topic seemed to scratch Simone Biles’ wounds again and again. 

In the past, Simone has given several media interviews describing her experiences with mental vertigo, known as ‘twisties’. She emphasized that her suffering was exacerbated by the unbound expectations of people. The resulting experience went on Simone as she penned, “like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times.” So, Simone Biles is not on the path to prove herself again. She would not care about the individuals who are going to compare her from a different perspective. Subsequently, the gymnastics community doesn’t want a repeat of such occurrences, or rather, the media asking her uncomfortable questions. 

On Reddit, a fan took up that note further by asking about the viability of constantly querying on those topics that join the cord between Simone Biles and her experience in the Tokyo Olympics. The fan’s statement remained, “As a therapist, I love Simone mentioning therapy every time she can. Might need to play that clip for my clients. But also as a therapist stop bringing up trauma.” The discussion found a few more arguments on the topic. 

Fans do not bat to increase the load of expectations on the legend 

In the past one or two years, Simone Biles has described her Tokyo Olympic experience in detail, mainly through podcasts or off-court interviews. However, she had not faced such demands in her post-game conversations until June 30. Therefore, several fans believe that these developments might lead to a different outcome. One fan put it into the sentence as “I really don’t like that narrative- Simone has been so open about her struggle with her mental health the past few years/following last olympics”. 

It could become a norm in the coming days if others follow the same lead. Expectedly, gymnastic lovers do not want that. Noting that, one follower jotted down, “I really hope they back off/let up a bit when it comes to her situation from the last olympic games being the first thing they ask her about, like specifically for the time being”. 

Meanwhile, a fan tried to step in those footsteps that Simone Bies had experienced while suffering from twisties. In her Call Her Daddy podcast, the legend tried to narrate that feeling and said, “I literally felt like I was fighting my body and my mind to do these tricks”. The judicious fans know and so they don’t want the media scratching that wound again. That led one fan to add, “it definitely has to be traumatic to keep being reminded of Tokyo and i hope it doesnt get to her”

One fan readily agreed to that as the comment went, “Agree! Simone doesn’t owe anyone any explanations.” Seriously, Simone Biles does not owe anyone any explanation. Rather, the tale of her comeback should be the motivational story.