Current:Home > ContactSimone Biles thought 'world is going to hate me' after she left team final at Tokyo Games -Excel Wealth Summit
Simone Biles thought 'world is going to hate me' after she left team final at Tokyo Games
View
Date:2025-04-12 23:08:49
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! (68)
Related
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- 'Beloved' Burbank teacher killed by 25-year-old son during altercation, police say
- A look at the growing trend of women becoming single parents by choice
- Trump demands mistrial after damaging Stormy Daniels testimony | The Excerpt
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- A cyberattack on a big US health system diverts ambulances and takes records offline
- Oklahoma death row inmate who killed a bank guard is incompetent for execution, judge says
- Girlfriend of Surfer Who Died in Mexico Shares Their Touching Text Messages on Signs After Loss
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Roast Me (Freestyle)
Ranking
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Did officials miss Sebastian Aho's held broken stick in Hurricanes' goal vs. Rangers?
- Trump says he wouldn't sign a federal abortion ban. Could he limit abortion access in other ways if reelected?
- TikToker Taylor Odlozil Shares Wife Haley's Final Words to Son Before Death From Ovarian Cancer
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- KTLA Reporter Sam Rubin Dead at 64
- After infertility, other struggles, these moms are grateful to hear 'Happy Mother's Day'
- Think spaving — or spending to save — can save you money? Think again.
Recommendation
Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
A look at the growing trend of women becoming single parents by choice
US consumer sentiment drops to 6-month low on inflation, unemployment fears
Civil War General William T. Sherman’s sword and other relics to be auctioned off in Ohio
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Oklahoma death row inmate who killed a bank guard is incompetent for execution, judge says
Storms slam parts of Florida, Mississippi and elsewhere as cleanup from earlier tornadoes continues
KTLA Reporter Sam Rubin Dead at 64