"Maybe if my ankle was fractured, I would’ve done it" - Simone Biles opens up on comparisons with Kerri Strug in Netflix docuseries

Modified Jul 17, 2024 16:09 GMT

Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics led to all sorts of opinions, with many comparing her with former American gymnast Kerri Strug.

During the Summer Games in Tokyo, all eyes were on Biles to see how she would perform. Many were expecting her to not only clinch gold medals but also set new world records.

However, she ended up withdrawing from the majority of her events after struggling with “twisties” — a type of a mental block that gymnasts face. While many supported her decision, she was also criticized for pulling out of the competition.

The critics used the example of Strug, who performed her second vault at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with a severely injured left ankle. She managed to make a proper landing, balancing herself on one foot, which helped Team USA clinch the gold medal.

In a new Netflix documentary titled 'Simone Biles Rising,' Biles recalled her struggles in Tokyo, facing criticism, and being compared to Strug.

"You can only silence the noise for so long until it gets to you. I know after Tokyo, that video got brought back up. It was like, ‘Why couldn't you be Kerri Strug?' And then a lot of people, on the other hand, were like, ‘Absolutely not. Kerri should not have even done that back in the day.’ And maybe if my ankle was fractured, yeah, I would’ve still done it," she said (via TODAY.)

"But that wasn’t the case. Where I was, mentally and physically, it could’ve potentially been more than an ankle or something. It could’ve been worse," she added.

Biles has since returned to action, proving she is just as strong as ever. She is one of the biggest names set to take part in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Simone Biles on her comeback from two-year hiatus: "Nobody’s forcing me to do it"

Simone Biles has won 37 world and Olympic medals.

With 37 world and Olympic medals to her name, Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history. However, she has stated that she is hungry for more success, eyeing more medals at the Paris Olympics.

Since returning from her two-year hiatus, Biles has shown that she has not lost a step in her time on the sidelines. She will be the oldest female gymnast to compete for the US at the Olympics since Marie Margaret Hoesly in 1952.

In a recent interview with AFP, the 27-year-old said that she made her comeback not because of necessity or outside influence, but purely out of her love for the sport.

"Nobody’s forcing me to do it. I wake up every day and choose to grind in the gym and come out here and perform for myself. Just to remind myself that I can still do it – that’s my why," she said.

Biles will be joined by Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and 16-year-old rising star Hezly Rivera in Team USA's gymnastics squad in Paris.