After taking a well-needed break from the sport after the Tokyo Olympics two years ago, Simone Biles says she’s ready to come back to gymnastics.
Simone Biles’ Return
Biles’ return is was not a large announcement. Rather, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the athlete’s name simply appeared on a list of entries for the U.S. Classic. The event is a low-profile August competition open to all current or former elite gymnasts. Many athletes are able to qualify for the national championships in this event.
While not many details have been shared about Biles intentions for entering into the competition, her participation may shed some light on what the future holds. Competing in this event opens the door for Biles to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Biles withdrew mid-event which concerned fans worldwide. After performing one vault, she became disoriented and felt that she was unable to continue to perform safely. According to the Wall Street Journal, she described the sensation saying “the wires just snapped.” Throughout the week of the Olympics, Biles pulled out of several events. She returned a few days after her balance beam scare to compete in the balance beam final. She had to modify the move to take out any twisting. She ended up taking home a bronze medal and has not competed since.
After the event, Biles began to openly discuss her mental health issues. She partnered with the mental health start-up Cerebral, although the two parted ways months after.
She has since been enjoying life. She recently got married to NFL player, Jonathan Owens. She announced her engagement to him in February 2022 via social media with several photos of the proposal. The two met online right before the pandemic hit. Owens told Texas Monthly that the Covid-19 shutdown created time for them to get to know each other better.