"I felt like a failure" - Simone Biles opens up on her time after Tokyo Olympics withdrawal
Simone Biles, Olympic and World Champion, has been hailed by many for her approach to conversations surrounding mental health. In 2021, the American pulled out of various finals at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health, and she has now opened up about what her break after the Olympics looked like.
Biles, who is known for her outlandish and stunning performances, made her Olympic debut in 2016. While in Rio, the 26-year-old swept the podiums, finishing with a gold in the all-around, vault, floor exercise, and team, alongside a bronze in the balance beam.
When the Tokyo Olympics rolled around, many expected an encore of her previous performance, and she was the overwhelming favorite for the gold in multiple events. However, come finals day, Simone Biles made the difficult decision to step back from competing due to mental health concerns. However, she did get back in action for the last finals, the balance beam event, where she finished with a bronze.
Ever since then, the gymnast has been a vocal advocate of mental health issues, encouraging people to seek therapy and more.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Biles opened up about her time after Tokyo, detailing the challenges she had to go through.
“I wish I could sit here and tell you it was glorious. When I took a break after 2016, I had the time of my life. I was doing anything and everything. But after 2020, it was kind of depressing until I started therapy and got help. I felt like a failure,” she said.
She went on to add that while her watered-down performance stung a little, she was still happy with the decision she made.
“Even though I was empowering so many people and speaking out about mental health, every time I talked about my experience in Tokyo—because it obviously didn’t go the way that I had planned—it stung a little bit. But all in all, it was the best decision.”
Simone Biles’ comeback to gymnastics
After the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles took two years away from the sport. She finally made a comeback to the mat in 2024, competing at the US Classics in August where the gymnast proved that she still had everything it takes, sweeping the podiums and displaying her dominance.
Next, the American went on to win three golds and a silver at the Antwerp Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, taking her combined total to 34. In Belgium, Biles had her fifth skill, the Yurchenko double pike on the vault, named after her.
The World Championships also saw the Olympian become the first gymnast to win all-around titles 10 years apart, further cementing her name as one of the greats of the sport.
As of now, Simone Biles is focused on the Paris Olympics and remains one of the favorites for a top-of-the-podium finish in multiple events. Speaking of her plans for 2024, the American told TODAY,
"I think we have to be a little bit more cautious about how we do things. So everything that we're doing leading up to this next Games or whatever is very intentional. So we've kind of been playing it on the down low this time, making sure mentally and physically are both intact. So I think it'll be different, but it'll be good.”