The Paris Games will forever represent what was arguably the most significant Olympic stint for Simone Biles.
It may not have been her most successful outing in terms of medal count (she won four golds and a bronze in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games as opposed to the three golds and one silver she bagged in Paris), but the mere fact that she was able to return to the Olympic stage with a bang following her controversial Tokyo Olympics incident in 2021 speaks volumes of her true character.
Three years ago, Biles was forced to pull out of the Tokyo Games after experiencing the “twisties,” which is an unexplained phenomenon wherein gymnasts lose coordination while mid-air. It is considered a psychological issue, which is why Biles opted to remove herself from the competition to focus on her mental health.
In the aftermath of that stunning development, a lot of questions were raised about Biles’ future in the sport. Fast forward three years later, and she proved to the entire world — and perhaps more importantly, to herself — that she’s still the top gymnast in the game.
Memorable would be an understatement from what we saw from Biles in Paris.
For her part, there’s no denying that Paris will forever hold a special place in Biles’ heart. In fact, she’s come out with an emotional admission on Instagram about still nursing a heavy 2024 Olympics hangover.
