Simone Biles spent two years trying to distance herself from those strange days in Tokyo and all the outside noise that came along with it.
She dove into therapy and slowly returned to training even though she wavered on whether she was really up for a third Olympics and all of the pressure and expectations that come with it when you are considered the greatest of all time.
It was not until mid-spring that she committed to training seriously after talking about it over margaritas with her coaches. It was not until late June that she committed to Saturday night’s Core Hydration Classic. It was not until she stepped onto the podium and heard the shrieks of support and the sea of handmade signs that the noise she had been grappling with for 732 days finally fell silent.
Photo: Jon Durr, USA Today via Reuters
She was back in her safe space, back in front of a crowd and back in control. She was back to being the Simone Biles — albeit a more mature, married, 26-year-old version — who has spent a decade redefining her sport.
Confidence growing with every rotation, Biles soared to victory in her first meet since the Tokyo Games. Her all-around score of 59.1 was five points better than runner-up Leann Wong.
It was made all the more remarkable as Biles did not really pour herself into preparing until after her wedding to Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens in late April.
“I feel really good about where I am right now, mentally and physically,” Biles said. “I still think there are some things to work on in my routines, but for the first meet back, I would say it went pretty well. I’m very shocked. Surprised.”
She posted the best score on three of four events, turning what is typically a tune-up meet for the US Championships into a showcase that she remains — when she is at or near her best — a singular force in her sport.
Biles said she is trying not to get too far ahead. Making it a point to enjoy what she called the “little wins.”
“I knew I could come back and hopefully have a shot,” she said. “It’s just about really taking care of my body right now. So that’s what we’re to. It’s working.”
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