Simone Biles at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 - Artistic Gymnastics - Source: Getty

"I'm gonna need a wheelchair"- Simone Biles opens up on facing an injury scare during the qualifying rounds at the Paris Olympics

Modified Oct 29, 2024 04:49 GMT

Simone Biles spoke about facing an injury scare during the qualifying rounds of the Paris Olympics. The American gymnast was struggling with ankle issues due to which she left the arena to get a preliminary examination and returned to the stadium with taping on her left ankle.

Upon her return to the Arena, Biles began her warm-up routine on the mat before moving on to the vault. The 27-year-old was visibly struggling with the lower part of her left leg raising concerns about her participation in the qualifying rounds at the Paris Olympics. She then went on to discuss with the team's physician as well as her coaches.

After executing her first warm-up maneuver on the vault, Biles who felt the uneasiness after landing could be heard saying:

"Can I crawl? It is either that or hopping. I am going to need a wheelchair."

Simone Biles spoke about the incident in part 2 of her Netflix documentary series, ' Simone Biles: Rising'. The American gymnast revealed how the injury scare had added to the anxiousness of competing in the qualification rounds.

"Qualifications are super stressful. We know how much that can impact the rest of our Olympic Trajectory. Because I'm anxious about it I feel like, 'Everything is going to be okay. Calm down don't freak out' and you don't know if it is a fluke yet," she said.

Simone Biles on dealing with injuries in her career

Simone Biles at the Paris Olympics (Image Source: Getty)

Simone Biles spoke about dealing with injuries in an interview with Bleacher Report. The American gymnast revealed how she has been encountering injuries ever since the commencement of her professional gymnastics career.

"Pain is just something I live with and that is pretty odd for my age, right? It feels weird if I'm not in pain. was thinking about this—I've been quite fortunate with injuries but there's been some stuff. There's been a calf I have partially torn two or three times, I broke a rib in 2016, and oh yeah, it turned out my toe was shattered in five pieces after the last Olympics without me knowing," she said.

"That was weird. I had it for ages and used to tell people it was going to fall off. One day I had it X-rayed and they were asking how long it had been bad. I'd had it about two years," she added.

Despite all the setbacks, Biles managed to emerge stronger and establish herself as one of the greatest gymnasts in the world. The 27-year-old had an outing to remember at the Paris Olympics as she won four golds.

Biles played a key role in helping the United States women's team winning gold in the team event. She then won the all-around event before clinching her third gold medal of Paris 2024 in the vault event. The American ended her campaign at the French capital with a silver medal in the floor exercise event.