It’s been – and still is – a turbulent year for Simone Biles: Also thanks to the four gold medals she won at Rio 2016, the American gymnast may have been the most anticipated athlete at the Tokyo 2020 Games, but she chose to retire from five races citing mental health issues. Biles admitted that she suffers from fluctuations, that is, real knowledge gaps that do not allow her to assess what she does well during her exercises – which, if performed poorly, can become dangerous to the physical integrity of those who exercise. In Japan, Beals explained, “In those moments, you find it hard to understand where you are, to distinguish between top and bottom, and your true position. Mind and body don’t synchronize, and then the things you do every day become impossible.”
After a few months of vicissitudes accused in the course of preparation and competitions for the Olympics, Biles admitted – in this interview Issued for Today – from “Still afraid to do gymnastics”. As she recounted her current condition, Biles struggled to hold back her tears and said, “I’m so sorry, because I love my sport so much I can’t do what I’ve always done anymore. I don’t think people understand the huge difficulties I’m facing. For many years I have been able to overcome my crises, And that’s why I’m so proud of myself. Maybe one day I’ll be able to compete again in a quiet way, but now it’s really tough.” After the Olympics, Biles was back on the podium to stop for the Gold Over America Tour, a series of traveling events in which he performs. The gymnasts are a mixture of sports, entertainment and pop music.Biles is one of the tour organizers, but as I mentioned, she has yet to perform the same – unbelievable – exercises that we were used to before the problems that were accused in Tokyo 2020.
In addition to his athletic fluctuations, Simone Biles also faces a judicial tragedy: she is one of the witnesses in the investigation into the case of Larry Nassar, the U.S. gymnastics team doctor accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of young women and girls, including Simone Biles herself. Nassar has already been convicted of his crimes, but investigators are pointing the finger at a possible cover-up by the FBI. Biles also talked about this in the context of his interview Today: «If I have decided to take part in such an important process, it is because I want to give a voice to all those who survived such terrible moments. From now on, telling your story is essential, but also challenging and challenging.”
