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Simone Biles has admitted she was “shaking” with anxiety in the Olympic Village as she spoke of her nerves ahead of the women’s gymnastics vault final.
The 27-year-old gymnast shared a TikTok video on August 2 in which she documented herself preparing in her room for the Olympic all-around final. Her video appeared a day after she received another gold medal in the individual gymnastics final. Days earlier, the U.S. women's gymnastics team also claimed gold during the all-around final.
Biles returned to the Arena Bercy on Saturday, August 3 for the women's vault final, where she won her third gold medal during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. During the competition, she earned a final score of 14.966, while her teammate, Jade Carey, won bronze with a final score of 14.466.
In her TikTok video, Biles acknowledged that while she was “really nervous,” that was “to be expected” for her. “I had therapy this morning, so I feel a little bit better,” she explained. “I’ve worked really hard, mentally, to get to this moment.”
While applying her makeup, she shared the performance she was most worried about.
“I’m starting tonight with the vault. I think that’s the event that makes me the most nervous,” she said. “Because I don’t want to get over it.”
Biles spoke about the tough competition at this year’s Olympics, calling Brazilian gymnast Rebecca Andrade her “main competitor.” She then confessed that even when she wasn’t competing, she felt a lot of anxiety.
“I haven’t done much in the Olympic Village, and it’s because the first day we got here, when I got to the cafeteria, so many people were asking me for pictures, nonstop, and every time I sat down to eat I was so anxious that I was shaking,” Biles explained. “And I couldn’t stop shaking.”
She went on to note that she was “so overwhelmed” during this experience that she hadn’t spent much time in the cafe since.
“Yesterday I went to the cafe to meet my friend, but before that, I hadn’t been back to the cafe for five days,” she added. “I just go to the store, buy food and stay here, because it makes me very anxious.”
On Friday, she shared a photo on Instagram of herself meditating at the Bercy Arena in Paris. The post came after she won the individual competition. In the caption, she wrote: “Mental health matters.”
Biles has previously spoken out about her mental health and revealed how therapy played a major role in her preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Speaking to reporters after the Team USA all-around event, Biles detailed the positive impact that going to therapy right before the competition had on her performance that allowed her to win the gold medal.
“Earlier in the day, I started therapy this morning, so it was very exciting. And then I told him that I felt calm and ready,” she said. “And that’s exactly what happened.”
She spoke about her fears during the vault competition, continuing: “After I finished the vault, I felt relieved. I thought, ‘Wow, please, no flashbacks or anything. ’ But I felt so relieved. And as soon as I landed the vault, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m definitely ready. ’” [okay]”Let's do this”.
Before arriving in France for the Summer Olympics, he also spoke with Today Co-host Hoda Kotb talks about incorporating therapy into her daily routine.
“You don’t bury things anymore. You say them out loud. You talk about therapy, where you are, where you’re going. Tell me about this part of you,” Kotb asked on her podcast, which aired July 31.
“I've always tried to stay authentic to myself, so I feel like the new me. I'm a little bit older, more mature, so I'm just unapologetically me,” Biles responded.
In 2021, Biles withdrew from women's artistic gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health, after suffering from a condition known as “twisties.” Gymnasts have spoken out about the condition, usually in high-pressure situations, which they say involves losing control in the air and feeling unable to perform the movement, creating a high-risk and dangerous situation.
