By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber
PARIS (Reuters) – Simone Biles might be the world’s most decorated gymnast but that did not stop her from producing uncharacteristic errors during her two final performances at the Paris Olympics on Monday, reminding her vast fan base that she, too, is human.
On a self-described “redemption tour”, Biles strived to return to the world’s most prestigious sporting stage after withdrawing from several events at the Tokyo Olympics where she suffered from a dangerous mental block known as the “twisties.”
Biles snapped up three gold medals in her first three events at the Paris Games – the team, the all-around and the vault.
There were high expectations that she would add to her overall tally of seven Olympic golds on the final day of the artistic gymnastics programme — but that was not how it played out.
She finished off the podium in fifth place in the balance beam final after slipping off the apparatus mid-routine.
About two hours later she was upstaged by Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade on the floor exercise after landing with two feet out of bounds on two of her four tumbling passes.
The six-tenths of a point penalty she incurred for stepping out of the marked area made the difference between gold and silver.
Despite her flawed performances on Monday, the 27-year-old American took things in stride as she earned silver on the floor to take her Olympic medal haul to 11.
“I’ve accomplished way more than my wildest dreams. Not just at this Olympics, but in the sport,” a serene Biles said.
“A couple of years ago, I didn’t think I’d be back here at an Olympic Games. So competing and then walking away with four medals, I’m not mad about it. I’m pretty proud of myself.”
After Tokyo, it was unclear whether Biles would ever compete again, let alone at the Olympics.
Although she faced criticism over her withdrawal, she was also praised for advocating for mental health advocate when the world was still stricken with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I also think that putting your mental health first and taking time for yourself, whether you’re in sports or not, it creates longevity in sports specifically, but also for just a better, healthier lifestyle,” Biles said.
It remains to be seen whether the Paris Olympics will turn out to be Biles’ last. In a post on X that was shared 40,000 times, Biles implored her followers to stop “asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics.”
She did leave the door open for a possible return to the Los Angeles Games in 2028, when she will be 31, but said she was already getting “really old.”
“I’m not very upset or anything about my performance at the Olympics,” Biles said. “I’m actually very happy, proud and even more excited that it’s over.”
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber, Karen Braun, Chang-Ram Kin and Rory Carroll, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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