Simone Biles: ‘I Thought I Was Going to Be Banned from America’ After Tokyo Olympics
After an unfortunate end to her run in the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, legendary gymnast Simone Biles was unsure about the reception she’d receive from her home country.
Biles revealed on the Call Her Daddy podcast (h/t the Today show) that she was fearful of returning to the United States after she took home the bronze medal in the balance beam, her only individual medal that year after suffering from a case of the “twisties.”
“If I could’ve gotten on a plane and flown home, I would’ve done it. I thought I was going to be banned from America ’cause that’s what they tell you: ‘Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back,'” she said (h/t Patrick Smith of NBC News).
Biles shocked the world when she struggled to execute and landed awkwardly during her vault routine. She withdrew from both the team final and the individual all-around final, citing a need to focus on her mental health. However, her decision weighed heavily on her mind.
“America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,” she recalled feeling at the time.
Biles returned to competition last year and appears to be intent on participating in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She’s set to be in action at the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, next month.