"You don't want the night to go away"- Simone Biles gets emotional as she describes winning her first gold medal after Tokyo Olympics heartbreak

By Ketaki Pansare

Modified Nov 19, 2024 06:45 GMT

Simone Biles got emotional as she reflected on her first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics during an episode of her docuseries, Simone Biles Rising. The victory came after a heartbreaking setback at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the 2020 Tokyo Games, Biles withdrew from the women's gymnastics team final, citing mental reasons. However, her remarkable comeback at the 2024 Olympics silenced her critics as she won three gold medals and one silver medal at the French Capital.

Following her triumph at the 2024 Olympics, Biles narrated her experience in Netflix's documentary Simone Biles Rising, which explores her life and career journey. She talked about her emotional reflection on her comeback at the 2024 Olympic Games.

In the fourth episode titled, I Will Rise, the 27-year-old was seen standing alongside her team as they waited for the final score for the floor event. With the results board flashing 14.666 points for Simone, she and her team got emotional as Biles spoke about her joy in clinching the gold:

"Going into tonight, we did what we were supposed to, but it felt a little but different. It was super exciting. We had fun. We enjoyed each other's time out there and we just did our gymnastics," Biles said (20:00 onwards).

"I couldn't believe it, and I was just so excited. Like, did this really just happen? You almost don't want the night to go away because then you're resetting for a couple more days of competition," she added.

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Simone Biles reflects on her hard work and mental health journey after the 'payoff' at the Paris Olympics

Simone Biles at Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix's "Simone Biles Rising: Part 2" - Source: Getty

Following the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles looked back on her hard work which paid dividends in her success. In an October episode of the Olympics.com podcast, the American Gymnast was asked for her comments on a successful campaign for Team USA in gymnastics. In response, Biles reflected on her mental health journey and said:

"You know, in the beginning, I think the hardest part is logging on to my therapy sessions and convincing myself to go. But as soon as I see my therapist and we start talking, it's like I'm yapping the whole time doing my therapy and I'm so grateful for that. So I think the payoff is definitely worth it," she said (at 14:17).

Biles had withdrawn from the 2020 Tokyo Games due to 'Twisties', and acknowledged that starting therapy was difficult for her. She detailed the struggle to take the first steps toward seeking help but felt it was all 'worth it' following her success at the Paris Olympics 2024.