Simone Biles and Squad Get it Done in Paris

Screen grab from NBC/Universal coverage of 2024 Olympics

I’ve been enthralled by women’s gymnastics since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. That year, the torch relay came right through my little hometown, because I am from the home of America’s sweetheart, Mary Lou Retton. We in West Virginia are rarely known for anything positive, and we were all so very excited to see a hometown girl on the big stage. Even though she hasn’t lived in West Virginia for many years, we still claim her. We have an entire neighborhood named after her. I don’t remember if I got to see the torch come through town, but I do remember watching Mary Lou compete on TV.

The flying and flipping and feats of strength, of gravity seemingly defied, inspired girls all over the world, including me. I so badly wanted to swing around those uneven bars, around and round like I was on hinges. It looked so easy! I just needed gymnastics lessons and I too could flip effortlessly through the air. It looked like so much fun, like a self-propelled carnival ride.

I begged for gymnastics classes, which were in no short supply in town thanks to Mary Lou’s influence. They were prohibitively expensive for my family, so I had to settle for a dance school that offered acrobatics. No vaulting or apparatuses; just dance routines with gymnastic-like elements like flips and back walkovers and aerials. This is where I learned that it was probably for the best that I had never taken gymnastics; I could not even be taught to do a proper cartwheel. A back handspring? Never would have happened.

So, I resigned myself to living vicariously, watching these amazing athletes on TV on lazy Sunday afternoons. I’ve never lost that fascination for the sport, still to this day in awe of the flexibility, grace, physical strength and toughness of these athletes. I have always been eager for the Olympics every four years when I get to enjoy the best of the best in the sport from around the world.

Simone Biles is a different beast. She manages to reach heights – literally, I mean – that amaze me, even as a lifelong gymnastics viewer. The power contained within that 4’8″ body is a sight to behold. After her four gold (three individual and one team) and one bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and continued dominance in world championships in the ensuing years, the hype was huge going into the 2020¹ Olympics. She was branded the GOAT, favored to all but sweep in Tokyo and help Team USA to a gold.

As we all remember, it didn’t turn out that way. Simone got “the twisties”, as gymnasts call it, and withdrew from competition. “The twisties” is, as best as I can understand, a sort of a mental block in which gymnasts suddenly find themselves feeling “lost” in mid-air, unable to properly twist their bodies as they intended. This is dangerous, considering what goes up must come down. If you can’t orient yourself in the air, you can’t be sure to safely land.

Far from evidence of cowardice, Simone’s decision to withdraw was absolutely courageous. She did so, knowing she would find herself the target of critics who were all too happy to see her fail. In prioritizing her safety, said people in their easy chairs who’ve never excelled in any sport at her level or even close, she had bailed on her team and embarrassed her country, which had to settle for silver in 2021. She buckled under pressure. Add to the mix that Biles had leaned into her reputation as the greatest ever, a kind of confidence certain types of people can’t tolerate in a woman, especially one of color, and the backlash was ugly. Many pointed to Kerry Strug, who in 1996 vaulted the USA to team gold on a broken ankle, as an example of what a real champion should do. Never mind how horrific it was that Strug felt the need to do that to herself in the first place.

How did Simone deal with this criticism?

She brushed it off like so much hand chalk.

She got help for her mental health, got back to work, snapped up another pile of gold medals at the World Championships in 2023 and came to Paris to win some more. Today, Simone and her teammates secured the Team All Around Gold for the USA. Yes, it was a team effort and not solely attributable to Simone, but with the experience of two past Olympics behind her and older than her next-oldest teammate by three years, she’s indisputably the leader. And not just in scoring.

Jade Carey, who is competing in her second Olympics, fell during her floor routine during qualifications. Carey came into the Olympics a favorite to win individual gold on Floor Exercises, and the fall put her out of contention for individual finals. She was visibly upset. Along comes Simone, asking Jade if she was ok. A dejected Jade, eyes on the floor, shook her head no.

“Yes, you are, Jade,” Simone said, matter-of-factly. “You’re fine.”

It’s not a dismissal of her teammate’s feelings; it’s a calm assurance that this did not define her performance, that all was not lost. That she should move on from her mistake and not let it into her head. If it’s not a big deal to ultra-competitive Simone, then it’s not a big deal. Jade went on to nail her vault today, helping her team to the gold.

The USA women’s gymnastics team has been a joy to watch. They’re making America proud, and I’ll continue to cheer them on through individual finals, still wishing I could’ve at least learned to do a round-off.

1. 2021. YKWIM.