Connect with us

CELEBRITIES

Biles targets ‘redemption’ as she reenters the spotlight at Paris Olympics

Published

on

 

Paris – Simone Biles celebrated her arrival at the 2024 Paris Olympics by taking her fans behind the scenes.
The U.S. gymnast and one of the biggest stars at these Games took to Instagram on Tuesday and posted photos and videos of herself and her teammates from inside their accommodation at the athletes village.

 

 

Biles has over 7 million followers on the social media platform. But even more eyes could be trained on the 27-year-old Texan when the women’s Olympic gymnastics competition begins on Sunday.

Biles is one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. She has won four gold medals at the Olympics and 23 at the world championships. She will become the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast, breaking a tie with Shannon Miller, with a medal of any color in Paris.

Biles and the rest of the U.S. team had a practice session on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for the competition.

“Simone has been doing great,” Chellsie Memmel, the technical lead for the U.S. women’s team, said Tuesday. “She has been solid in training since Katy, Texas, (where the U.S. held its national team camp). She seems to be in a really good place, and she’s been a great leader for this team.”

Biles earned a silver medal in the team event and bronze on the balance beam at the postponed Tokyo Games three years ago. Her more lasting legacy from those Games, however, might be how she pushed the issue of mental health to the forefront in a way that reverberated across the sports world.

In Tokyo, Biles abruptly withdrew from the team event before pulling out of the finals in the individual all-around, floor exercise and vault. She competed in the balance beam final, but performed a scaled-down routine.

Biles said she was suffering from “the twisties,” which is when a gymnast becomes disoriented in the air, and pulled out of those events to protect her mental health. That, along with earlier statements by tennis star Naomi Osaka, sparked a conversation about mental health in sports that is still ongoing.

The organizers of the 2024 Games added more mental health resources for the athletes in Paris, and some delgations, including Japan and the United States, are traveling with mental health counselors.

I’m very proud of Simone and what she did,” Memmel said. “She put her health first in Tokyo. I know that’s not how she foresaw that competition going, but I think she did what was best for her and everybody. Team USA understood that and supported that decision.

“She was able to take a couple of years off (from) gymnastics and decided to come back and keep training. Seeing her now, I think she’s in a really good place. She’s more excited about gymnastics. She’s enjoying it, and I think this is a redemption for her, and I think she’s going to go out and do an amazing job, and we’re going to support her.”

Biles and Co. will have an audience in the French capital, something they did not have in Tokyo, where the competition was held behind closed doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Oh, my gosh, It’s going to be so amazing,” said Brett McClure, the U.S. men’s high performance director. “We were really lucky to have a taste of it just a few weeks ago at Olympic trials, where we had 16,000 people show up for that event. The energy that comes out of that experience is incredible.

“Tokyo, it was difficult to be able to look up in the stands and see so many empty seats. Obviously understandable, given the time, so yeah, we are so excited to go out there in front of 16,000-plus fans.”

Many of those fans may be cheering for Biles, in addition to their own countries, as she tries to help the U.S. reclaim the team title after finishing as the runner-up in Tokyo.

“This is definitely our redemption tour,” she said after the Olympic trials.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NEWS2 hours ago

BREAKING NEWS: Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer unexpectedly sent a shocking 4-word message to Kris Knoblauch after the U.S. NHL team, Florida Panthers, won the NHL championship: “Thanks, Cats, for helping us reclaim the honor of the U.S. team.” Details in 👇👇👇

ROYAL FAMILY9 hours ago

Tragic news: With a heavy heart, Prince Harry has announced from America, “My wife has been diagnosed with an illness…” SEE MORE BELOW 👇👇

NEWS10 hours ago

JUST IN: After ‘No Kings Day’ Participation, Bruce Springsteen Announces He’ll be Relocating to Canada Alongside Robert De Niro, Taylor Swift and Michael Jordan, Citing “Profound Lack of Respect” in the United States

ROYAL FAMILY15 hours ago

Breaking News 3 Minutes Ago: King Charles Grants Princess Charlotte a New Title, Shocking Change in Line of Succession Leaves William Stunned: ‘How can this be so absurd?'” See more below 👇👇👇

NFL18 hours ago

Breaking News! Taylor Swift Reveals Romantic Bedroom Tour With Travis Kelce, Billions Of Viewers Can’t Take Their Eyes Off! Taylor Swift has just caused a stir when sharing a video tour of her romantic bedroom with her boyfriend Travis Kelce, making social networks “heat up” with billions of views. The couple’s bedroom is designed with a sophisticated and romantic style, expressing the deep love between them. 𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡 video 👇

NEWS19 hours ago

BREAKING: Oilers teammates and fans were shocked by the bad news about goalie Stuart Skinner after the hockey finals loss to the Florida Panthers, revealing he was unable to play at 100% due to… Full story 👇

NFL1 day ago

Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift spotted enjoying an intimate dinner at luxurious Le Clarence, Paris Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift were spotted sharing an intimate evening at the luxurious Le Clarence restaurant in Paris, fueling further excitement around their rumored romance. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the globally renowned pop star made a discreet entrance to the Michelin-starred restaurant, stepping out of a sleek black SUV near Place Concorde before making their way inside. Their conversation revealed an exciting outing of the two in France 𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡 video 👇

NFL1 day ago

10 minutes Ago: Social Media Reacts to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Noticeable Weight Gain at the 2025 Oscars, Especially the Fuller Look of Taylor… full details below 😱👇

NFL1 day ago

“HISTORIC MOMENT! Travis Kelce Transforms In A Dress And Goes Crazy On Stage With His Granddaughter Wyatt Kelce – An unprecedented scene in NFL history that left everyone ‘stunned’! What happened in this colorful night?” 𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡 video 👇

NEWS1 day ago

Hockey Protest: Kris Knoblauch Claims US Referees Cheated in Playoff Against Canadian Teams! Urgent Investigation Calls for Game 6 Referees to Restore Justice… Watch video 👇 👇

ROYAL FAMILY2 days ago

Meghan announced she would not be returning to the UK,😮😲 citing safety concerns and her belief that Kate consistently tries to harm her, ‘she’s too hypocritical …. Royal expert claims Meghan Markle unlikely to return to the UK with Prince Harry in the near future, despite Prince William and Princess Kate’s invitation. More information below 👇👇👇

NEWS2 days ago

BREAKING: The International Hockey Federation (IIHF) has fired referee Francois St. Laurent, who officiated Game 6 between the Oilers and Panthers, after surveillance footage captured him sharing his sports betting account with a professional poker player while the game was in progress in a way that favored the Panthers. Watch video 👇

Copyright © 2024 UKtalkin