Current:Home > MySimone Biles thought 'world is going to hate me' after she left team final at Tokyo Games -WealthTrail Solutions
Simone Biles thought 'world is going to hate me' after she left team final at Tokyo Games
View
Date:2025-04-17 18:01:27
Decorated gymnast Simone Biles thought "the world is going to hate me" when she withdrew from the team final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after experiencing the "twisties."
The four-time Olympic gold medalist revealed what was going through her mind in the 2020 Summer Olympics on an episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast posted on Wednesday. When she realized she had the "twisties," best described as when a gymnast can't comprehend what their body is trying to do and is unable to execute moves, Biles thought she would be heavily criticized by her home country.
"If I could have got on a plane and flown home, I would have done it," Biles said. "As soon as I landed (the vault), I was like, 'Oh, America hates me.' The world is going to hate me. And I can only see what they're saying on Twitter right now. That was my first thought.
"I thought I was gonna be banned from America. Because that's what they tell you; don't come back. If it's not gold, gold or bust, don't come back."
Biles was replaced by Jordan Chiles in the team event, where the U.S. won silver. Biles won the bronze medal in the balance beam before stepping away from gymnastics for a time. She also detailed what it's like to experience the "twisties," comparing them to the "yips" in baseball or suddenly forgetting how to drive a car.
"It's basically like your mind and your body is at a disconnect. Your body is going to try to do something and your mind is going to be like, 'No, you're not doing this,' " Biles said. "You've been doing something for so long, and you now no longer have control.
"I go to tell my coach, and I said 'I'm done. I'm not doing any more.' Because if I survive that, I don't know how much else I can survive."
Biles has returned to excellence in gymnastics. In October, Biles won her 33rd medal at the world championships and Olympics, tying Vitaly Scherbo for most by any gymnast, and she will be going for more at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
veryGood! (25)
Related
- NCAA hits former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh with suspension, show-cause for recruiting violations
- Veterinary care, animal hospitals are more scarce. That's bad for pets (and their owners)
- AIGM puts AI into Crypto security
- U.K. man charged with Russia-backed arson attack on Ukraine-linked site in London
- Everything Simone Biles did at the Paris Olympics was amplified. She thrived in the spotlight
- Candace Parker, a 3-time WNBA champion and 2-time Olympic gold medalist, announces retirement
- Clayton MacRae: How The AI Era Shape the World
- Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's Daughters Sunday and Faith Make Their Red Carpet Debut
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Clayton MacRae: Raise of the Cryptocurrencies
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Charging bear attacks karate practitioner in Japan: I thought I should make my move or else I will be killed
- Denny Hamlin edges Kyle Larson at Dover for third NASCAR Cup Series win of 2024
- White House Correspondents' Dinner overshadowed by protests against Israel-Hamas war
- Olympic men's basketball bracket: Results of the 5x5 tournament
- Antisemitism is rampant. Campus protests aren't helping things. | The Excerpt
- University of Arizona student shot to death at off-campus house party
- Global negotiations on a treaty to end plastic pollution at critical phase in Canada
Recommendation
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
Clayton MacRae: Global View of AI Technologies and the United States
Bucks won't have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard for Game 4 vs. Pacers
How Dance Moms Trauma Bonded JoJo Siwa, Chloé Lukasiak, Kalani Hilliker & More of the Cast
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
Prosecutors reconvene after deadlocked jury in trial over Arizona border killing
Upstate NY district attorney ‘so sorry’ for cursing at officer who tried to ticket her for speeding
House and Senate negotiate bill to help FAA add more air traffic controllers and safety inspectors