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Why Simone Biles Said She Was “Bawling My Eyes Out” after Finishing at 2024 Olympics
“I think I was just so full of emotion and I finally released all of that,” Simone Biles explained of breaking down in tears Monday.
In just over a week, Simone Biles returned to the Olympic stage in what she called her highly anticipated “Redemption Tour,” battled a calf injury, added four new Olympic medals to her collection and earned the distinction as the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history at the age of 27.
When it was all over Monday after more than a week of intense competition, Biles finally let her emotions catch up with her.
“Yesterday once we got back to the village, I looked at Jordan [Chiles] and just started bawling my eyes out,” she told Hoda Kotb August 6 on NBC’s TODAY. “And she was like, ‘I knew it was gonna happen, I just didn’t know when!”
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Biles said her reaction was a mixture of joy and sadness as her time in Paris comes to an end.
“I think I was just so full of emotion and I finally released all of that,” she said. “I was so proud, happy, bittersweet that the journey’s over. It’s so crazy, it happened too quick. My third Olympics!”
In her final day of competition August 5, Biles had mixed results. She missed out on a medal in the balance beam after falling during her routine and ultimately landing fifth, but she quickly bounced back to earn the silver in floor. Add that to the three gold medals she already earned in the team event, all-around competition and vault and Biles’ Olympic journey was a rousing success by any measure.
Biles acknowledged the accomplishment herself Monday on Instagram by sharing a photo of herself wearing all four medals.
“[M]ore than my wildest dreams,” she captioned the shot.
The Texas-based gymnast has referred to the 2024 Paris Olympics as her “redemption tour” after she was forced to drop out of competition during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the “twisties,” a debilitating mental roadblock that causes gymnasts to lose their sense of space and dimension mid-air.
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After stepping back from competitive gymnastics and devoting time to restoring her mental health, Biles made a triumphant return in 2023, once again reclaiming her title as world champ.
This time around, as Biles told TODAY, she has placed an emphasis on her mental health by having regular check-ins with her therapist throughout the competition that helped her feel “comfortable and confident to compete.”
“I saw her about three or four times throughout this whole entire process and it didn’t matter if it was before all-around or after qualifications. I went back to the village and I got on a call with her and did my therapy session because that’s routine for me now,” she shared.
She’s also gotten unwavering support from her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, who was spotted in the stands taking notes and adorably cheering her on.
“He was so excited,” she told Kotb. “Obviously, he loved seeing me complete. He was still keeping score. For him, it meant the world to him because he’s seen the amount of hours that I’ve put in. So to actually see in person he was like, 'Wow, this is amazing' and he was just so excited to be there.”
Will Simone Biles Return to the Olympics in 2028?
With her Olympic experience in Paris now complete, many are wondering whether the 27–year-old will retire.
Biles wasn’t ready to make any announcements just yet, but she also didn’t rule out a possible return for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“You know, you never say never. The next Olympics is on home turf,” she said. “I’m just going to relax and see where life takes me.”
The remarks echoed comments she made during an August 3 press conference.
Biles told reporters that although Saturday’s vault competition was surely the last time she’d do the Yurchenko double pike vault, she was still leaving open the possibility for another Olympic return, according to Olympics.com.
“But I am getting really old,” she added.
As for her next steps now? Biles—who donned a boot on her left leg as a “precautionary” measure— told NBC’s Mike Tirico she plans to heal from her calf injury before embarking on a national tour and is just relishing in the joy of competing again.
“So at the end of the day, whatever happens, happens,” she said, according to Sports Illustrated. “But I’m in a good spot mentally and physically, so you can’t take that away from me. So whenever I’m out there, it’s just pure joy. Can’t believe I’m out there again, competing, representing my country, just having fun doing what I love.”
