Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast of our generation and her domination of the sport since she entered international competition is unrivaled.
However, Biles, who hasn’t lost an all-around competition since 2013, is human. Entering the Tokyo Olympics, due to the unparalleled difficulty level of her routines, the leadership at USA Gymnastics made it clear they needed her to compete in all four events for the team competition.
Already feeling the extreme pressure on her shoulders amid the solitude of having no family around due to COVID-19 restrictions, someone from USA Gymnastics casually made a three-word comment to Biles that made all these emotions worse.
Someone told Biles she was the team’s “gold-medal token” in Tokyo. Biles ultimately withdrew from the team competition after suffering from “the twisties” — an affliction in which a gymnast feels as though he or she has no control over their body while performing high-level elements.
The 27-year-old did not name the person who called her the “gold-medal token” while recalling the memory at the 2023 U.S. Classic, but USA Gymnastics was not pleased.
“I was disappointed to hear that,” Li Li Leung, president and CEO of USA Gymnastics told reporters. “And, frankly, that was the first that we had heard of it. We don’t know who said that. So I can’t tell you whether they’re still with us or not. But I can tell you that we do not tolerate that behaviour.”
Heading into the Paris Olympics, USA Gymnastics, under new guidance, is making good on their promise. Chellsie Memmel, who took over as the women’s team technical lead in 2022, made it clear to Biles that she does not need to compete in all four events in the team competition.
“If she doesn’t feel like it’s going to be in her best interest to do all four events that day, is that an option for her?’ And I said ‘absolutely,'” Memmel told reporters on July 23.
“If that’s what she needs to continue to be at her best for her team and herself, then that’s what we’re going to do because there are still four other members on our team.”
Memmel mentioned they said the same thing to Biles at the World Championships last year, “and she ultimately decided to do all four events during team finals,” she noted. “But I think just for her, knowing that that is a possibility, I think that helps.”
