I achieved more than my wildest dreams in Paris - Simone Biles

Graphic.com.gh Sports News Aug - 06 - 2024 , 17:14

Simone Biles says she has achieved more than her wildest dreams despite the errors in two finals on Monday that cost her the chance to add more Olympic gold medals to the three she had already won in Paris.

The 27-year-old American - who won team, all-around and vault gold - twice landed with both feet outside the area to take silver behind Brazil's Rebeca Andrade on floor.

That came after she had fallen off the beam to finish fifth in what she called an "odd" final during which she was frustrated by "shushing" in the crowd.

Three years after pulling out of several events in Tokyo and wondering if she would ever compete again, the world's most decorated gymnast now has 11 Olympic medals to add to her 30 World Championship ones.

"I'm not upset about my performance, I'm actually happy, proud and even more excited that it's over, the stress of it," Biles told a packed news conference.

"I've accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics but in the sport, so I can't be mad at my performances.

"I'm pretty proud of myself and it's always so exciting to compete."

Biles leaves Paris with medals expected in Tokyo

Biles leaves Paris with the medals she was expected to win in Tokyo.

After a sparkling Olympic debut at Rio 2016, when she won four golds, she had arrived in Japan hot favourite to add many more before the 'twisties' struck during the team final, causing her to sit out the rest of that event before pulling out of all her individual finals apart from beam, where she took an emotional bronze.

She has spoken in depth about the pressure she had been under going into Tokyo, her struggles without her family there, the "scars" of the "horrific abuse" by former USA team doctor Larry Nassar and the impact of the critics who called her a "quitter".

Simone Biles says former team doctor abused her

Simone Biles falls off balance beam, closes her Paris Olympics journey with silver medal

With a salute and a silver medal, Simone Biles shows the humanity that goes with her greatness

'I knew I would be back' - Simone Biles says as she qualifies for Paris Olympics

And she has detailed just what it had taken to get her to Paris, where she has performed in front of a packed-out arena each time - and featuring A-listers to boot - with the camera lenses focused on her every move.

She returned to gymnastics last summer after a two-year break, focusing on her therapy sessions as much as her acrobatic skills. She has continued them more regularly in Paris before her events, normalising even more a conversation about mental health that she so dramatically opened up in Tokyo.

"It's really important that we put our mental health first and then everything else will fall into place," she said on Monday.

She came to Paris with her team taking off as much pressure as possible but from the moment she successfully landed her vault in the team final - without "flashbacks" to Tokyo - she has not looked back.

The team gold was "redemption", the all-around gold was for herself and then after that she said it was about enjoying herself.

With that came a vault gold, a floor silver and a successful return to the top of her sport.

Is Simone Biles retiring?

Biles has urged people in recent days to stop asking athletes "what next" after they win a medal, telling them in a social media post to "let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for".

She has not ruled out competing at her home Games in Los Angeles in 2028 but says she is "getting old" as she will be 31 by then.

Not that age has stood in her way in Paris, where she became the oldest gymnast to win the women's all-around title in 72 years in a sport where the past 12 champions had been teenagers.

Retirement will be a question for another day.