"A couple of times I might have thought that" - Simone Biles doesn't want to be remembered as 'good but miserable'

By Puneet Tripathi

Modified Jul 17, 2024 15:34 GMT

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles recently talked about her journey and highlighted how she wants to look back at her career in 50 years. In a TODAY exclusive, the most decorated gymnast of all time opened up about how she wants to be remembered.

Biles has a splendid performance at the Rio Olympics, winning four golds and one bronze. She was ready to conquer the stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but struggled with the "twisties"—a kind of mental block that gymnasts face— that led to her withdrawal from the Olympics.

Simone Biles made her return to the Paris Olympics after a two-year break. Coming off the psychological experience of the postponed Tokyo Olympics, the 27-year-old told Hoda in TODAY studio what she wants from herself 50 years down the road.

"As long as I was having fun and doing what I love, then that’s all that you can do, because I don’t want to look back 50 years from now and be like, 'Wow, she was good, but she was so miserable,'" Biles said.

"And I think a couple of times I might have thought that, but now I’m just like, 'Wow, look at her go. She’s having so much fun. She’s loving what she’s doing, who she’s doing it with.' So really, just embracing that moment."

Simone Biles started this journey with a bang and is ready to take a flight to the Paris Olympics this summer. She finished at the top in the Paris Olympic Team trials with a final score of 117.225, above Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Jordan Chiles.

Simone Biles is set to light the stage at the Paris Olympics in 2024

Simone Biles at 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Biles will lead Team USA in the upcoming summer Olympics and she has showcased her extraordinary performance in the trials among other gymnasts. The American will be joined by Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and 16-year-old Hezly Rivera on Team USA's gymnastics squad for this year's Summer Games.

After taking a two-year break after the Tokyo Olympics, she made a spectacular recovery, capturing four gold medals and one silver at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Antwerp. In doing so, she increased her overall medal tally to 37.

Away from sport, Simone Biles also got married to NFL player Jonathan Owens on April 22, 2023. This year, her husband has cheered her on through her campaign for the quadrennial showdown.

The leading gymnast is on the verge of making history at the Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old has amassed 30 medals from the World Championships and seven from the Games in her elite career spanning nine years. Her prowess on the gymnastic mat has earned her the title of the most decorated gymnast in history.