Simone Biles questions herself. Dozens of medals can't erase the world's finest gymnast's uneasiness when exercising.
The global championships, with several medals at stake over a week, worried Biles about how she would manage the atmosphere. It was too much for Biles the previous time he participated at an Olympics-style tournament.
Coaching Biles, Cecile Landi stated she “knew the lights and all that were going to be maybe a trigger for her.” Landi was relieved when the American gymnasts rehearsed three days before the competition. Biles felt confident and at ease.
Biles departed Antwerp with five medals, four of them gold, and confidence that her Tokyo mental block wouldn't reoccur in a comparable event. Biles has moved away from the 2021 Olympics.
This week replaced it. Biles won the team gold with one of her finest floor performances. She won another all-around title, becoming the most decorated gymnast, and made few mistakes. Biles has dominated since returning to competition in the summer.
“If you keep remembering what happened in Tokyo, it's not good for you,” said Biles coach Laurent Landi and his wife. “So you want to remove that from your brain. A fluke.”
The Paris Games will be competitive like these two weeks. The Olympic and world championship gymnastics marathon begins with qualifying and then finals for team, all-around, and individual medals. With that hectic Antwerp schedule, Biles flourished.
Next year, spotlight intensity will change. World championships attract a similar group of skilled athletes, but they lack the prestige of the Olympics.
Biles will be a famous U.S. Olympian in Paris. She will lead NBC promos for months. Her tale in Tokyo, when she withdrew from the Olympic team final after becoming lost in a vault, will return. Biles must negotiate everything.