"As an athlete, you need to protect your mind and your body" - Simone Biles has no regrets about sitting out Olympics
Simone Biles became the top story when she elected to sit out of the final events of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in 2021. One of the most decorated athletes of all time backing out of Olympic competition doesn't happen all that often.
The gymnast cited mental health concerns for deciding not to compete as she didn't want to put herself or her teammates at risk. There were some who supported Biles' decision to take care of herself while others believed she should have honored her responsibility to compete for her country.
Since then, Biles has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and has remained a bit of a controversial figure, given how divisive her last appearance truly was.
Now, more than a year after her decision, the gymnast has no regrets. In a recent interview with Good Housekeeping, she said:
"As an athlete, you need to protect your mind and your body, rather [than] just go out there and do what the world wants us to do and potentially injuring yourself. I had to put myself above all else."
Athletes have recently become more comfortable talking about their mental health issues. Speaking about the same, Biles explained:
"It’s challenging to talk about how you’re doing mentally since it's an invisible injury — people can’t see it, so it’s harder to understand, but I think that’s why it’s so important we feel empowered to open up about it."
Biles believes that taking care of one's mental health can directly affect athletic performance, which is a big reason why she sat out. She continued:
"I learned that it’s okay not to be okay. If you don’t do what is right for you, then you're not going to enjoy your sport, and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to in whatever arena you’re competing in."
Despite missing out on the possibility of winning a gold medal at the Games, the gymnast doesn't have any regrets about her decision to withdraw from the finals of the Tokyo Olympics.
Simone Biles' performance at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo
Uncharacteristically, Biles had struggled to open the Olympics. She is a four-time gold medalist and seven-time medalist, and there were a lot of expectations that she would increase her total that year.
However, the gymnast didn't have the best of starts in the competition, making mistakes that were unlike her. She struggled in the warmups, often falling or failing to complete as many rotations as she normally would.
The gymnast left the floor after a few incidents and withdrew from the competition. She took inspiration from fellow Olympian Naomi Osaka, who famously withdrew from the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships for mental health concerns.
At the time, she said:
"I say put mental health first. Because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it's OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are — rather than just battle through it."
Biles hasn't ruled out returning at the 2024 Olympics and could look to re-establish herself as one of the greats in the sports at the event in Paris.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Good Housekeeping and H/T Sportskeeda.