Simone Biles’ athletic prowess was never in doubt, but after a dominant performance in Sunday’s Olympic gymnastics qualifying round, the four time-gold medalist looks poised for a comeback worth talking about long after the conclusion of this year’s Games. Per CNN, Biles had been dealing with calf pain in the weeks leading up to her Paris arrival, and appeared to reaggravate the injury during warmups on Sunday. Despite being spotted limping around the facilities at Bercy Arena all day, she managed to deliver a near-flawless beam routine with a score of 14.733 (the highest on the apparatus thus far) and an all-around score of 59.566, securing her spot in the upcoming all-around finals alongside teammate Sunisa Lee. She’s the favorite heading into Thursday’s competition, all while gritting her teeth through another injury.
WOW. ????
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2024
There are no words for Simone Biles. #ParisOlympics
????: NBC, E! and Peacock pic.twitter.com/sOWzVez7dL
As one of the most prolific gymnasts to walk the earth, Biles, of course, is always one to watch heading into an Olympic event, and celebrities agree. According to the Guardian, Tom Cruise, Snoop Dogg, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. We have John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Greta Gerwig and Jessica Chastain, the Jonas Brothers, the now-ubiquitous Anna WintourBut her presence in Paris is all the more meaningful following her mental health struggles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, during which she withdrew from the Games due to a debilitating condition called the “twisties.” Her return to gymnastics isn’t so much about winning or performing stellar technical routines (though she will surely do both), but about grit, vulnerability, and resilience.
To climb back atop the world stage after so publicly pushing herself past her limits — after being human, really – is more inspiring than any one medal or team event domination. In that way, Biles embodies the real Olympic spirit: the courage to pick herself up and try again. That she’ll attempt a skill never before attempted in the history of the Olympics is just the cherry on top. That’s so Simone, as one brat might say.
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