BarcelonaJust a year before the Olympic Games in Paris, everyone in the United States is wondering if the gymnast Simone Biles will be in the French capital in 2024. And if she is, in which competitions will the considered best gymnast of all time participate. After breaking all the mold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, when she won four gold medals, Biles decided to drop out of almost every competition she was entered in during the Tokyo Games. In Japan, everyone expected him to end up with a bunch of gold medals hanging around his neck, but he preferred to prioritize his health, mental and physical, as he couldn’t concentrate enough when he made certain jumps and lost track of where it was the ground when it was spinning in the air.
A week ago today, Biles, 26, made a surprise return to competition. Nobody expected it. Despite being a celebrity, she managed to keep it a secret that she was training to return to the state championships. In recent years Biles had retired from the sport. On social networks, she could be seen happily taking a trip with her friends to Belize, the country where she has roots, at the MET gala in New York, with the singer Billie Eilish or marrying her partner, the soccer player American Jonathan Owens. When it became known that Biles was registered for the championships held in Illinois, ticket sales and requests for press credentials to see her in action multiplied. And no one left disappointed. Biles, who won her first US and world titles way back in 2013, returned to competition 732 days after last putting on a show at the Core Hydration US Classic in uneven bars, balance, vault and floor. . “Now I believe a little more in myself”, he said exultantly after climbing to the top step of the podium.
A magnificent performance
Despite the media frenzy her return generated, Biles concentrated on her exercises and scored a brilliant victory with 59,100 points, 5,000 ahead of second-placed Leanne Wong. These scores place her as a strong favorite to shine at the Paris Games, should she choose to be there. “It’s been great, after everything that’s happened in recent years. Everyone supporting me, with banners. It touched my heart that they continued to believe in me. I came back and did what I liked, I feel very happy about the result”, said Biles in statements to the NBC network. Having won the US Classic, the next challenge is to prepare for the US National Championship. “And then, we’ll see.”
Those around the gymnast say that when Biles says she doesn’t want to think too much about the future, it’s not an excuse. Now he wants to live in the present. The pressure to win it all in Tokyo would have been one of the reasons why he would have suffered from mental pressure issues. The young gymnast, who has had a very hard life as she was raised by her grandparents because her parents had drug problems, was later sexually abused by Larry Nassar, a doctor for the North American Federation of Gymnastics, and spent more than four years feeling that she had to sign the best performance of all time in Tokyo. Now she has decided to focus on the day to day, in short periods, trying to be positive. “He wants to live the moment” they explained from his environment. The competition to be on the US gymnastics team will be tough, as experienced women such as Gabby Douglas or Biles herself join the new batch.
But as she trains to be on the list, which will become official in June 2024, Simone Biles isn’t forgetting her biggest struggle: talking about mental health. In these years when she has not competed, Biles has filled halls with a gymnastics show with music and dances, where she does not compete but Biles tells her story. “For me, it was important to include the mental health aspect, because I know that many people have experienced similar situations. We need to talk about the problems and not hide them under a rug”, he says about the show Gold Over America. “I would say he has a lot of strength, courage. It’s exciting. There are sad parts, but there are ups and downs in life. And I think that’s what we’re trying to portray in these shows”, explained a few months ago Biles, who had always dreamed of being able to have a project like this, in which she remembers how important it can be “to be surrounded by people who he loves you and helps you. Get away from toxic people and focus on who adds up. Talking about the problems and not being afraid”, he usually explains. And he talked about both family and friends. And also, of course, of the sports culture of the United States, where for decades abuses have been justified in exchange for trying to win the gold. “No, not everything is worth it. Our health is more important than sporting success”, defends Biles, who continues to enjoy the moment. From day to day it has become a benchmark.
2023-08-13 07:00:50
#live #moment #care
