Simone Got Real About The Pressure She Feels To Be The Best Gymnast
She's done brushing it off.
With jaw-dropping, gravity-defying tricks, and four signature moves named after her, Simone Biles is the most-accomplished gymnastics champion ever. Every four years, fans watch her fly through the air at the Olympics, and this year in Tokyo is no different. Yet with high expectations comes high pressure, and Simone Biles’ Instagram about the pressure to be the best gives an inside glimpse into the reality of what it’s like to be the GOAT.
At the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, the 24-year-old shocked fans around the world when she earned the top scores in four out of the five main gymnastic events she participated in. Aside from winning a gold medal with the US women’s team, Biles won her own gold medals for her solo routines in the vault, floor competitions, and all-around categories.
While the 2021 Olympics were delayed by an entire year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the games are officially happening, regardless of the controversy over holding them amid Tokyo’s fourth state of emergency.
On July 25, Biles took center stage in Tokyo as this year’s teams competed in the women’s gymnastics qualifying rounds. Those securing the best scores went on to contend for individual medals, and fans weren’t surprised when Biles qualified for the all-around and team finals, received the ultimate highest aggregate score of any participating gymnast, and qualified for every individual event.
As a team, though, Russia managed to out-score the United States, and Biles took to Instagram to reflect on what it felt like to her to take second place as a team, and the pressure she’s under to keep being the best in the business.
"It wasn't an easy day or my best but I got through it," she wrote. "I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard hahaha!" Biles said. "The Olympics is no joke! "BUT I'm happy my family was able to be with me virtually," she finished. "They mean the world to me!"
Next week, Biles will return to the Olympic stage yet again to showcase her skills on floor, vault, beam, and uneven bars. While her final scores most likely won’t disappoint fans, no matter the outcome, it’s safe to assume that Biles is going to give it her all. She always does.
