Medals and records were predicted. But her Olympic adventure was cut short. A victim of the "twisties", that uncontrollable and dangerous loss of bearings in space, the American had to withdraw from the competition to preserve her mental health. Now back at the Games, she is performing better than ever-at the time of going to print, she has made it to five finals and knows what is at stake. "It is an opportunity for redemption," she said when her selection was announced.
At 27, Simone Biles remains the star who must shine in Paris. In an interview, she opened up about what she has been through since those four Rio Olympic titles, and the conversation revealed a young woman who is fulfilled but accepts her flaws.
Q/ Do you remember the young Simone Biles making her World Championships debut in 2013?
A/ Yes, I was very bubbly, outgoing, a little hyperactive. I still needed my ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) medication, but I was also very optimistic. With one goal in mind, which was obviously to compete in the Games one day. The 2013 Worlds allowed me to start believing in myself and my gymnastics.
Q/ Then there was Rio, a masterful comeback in 2018 despite your admission of being one of the victims of sex offender Larry Nassar, the former US gymnastics team doctor. And of course Tokyo....
A/ Before Tokyo, I had a feeling. I probably knew I was going into depression. But something in me blocked it out. The pressure was enormous, there was no room for error, victories were promised, I was going to break records. It is nice to be recognised for your sporting merit. And I think everyone wants to be famous. But when that happens, you hit a wall and face an identity crisis. How did I get here? Is this really what I wanted?
Q/ What do you think of the Tokyo Games?
この記事は THE WEEK India の August 11, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は THE WEEK India の August 11, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Silent Screams Of Wayanad
Listen to the ground beneath your feet to figure out why heavy rain triggered a killer landslide
Have You Kept Track?
Now that the annual bloodletting is over and done with, and Caesar has extracted what was his due —and then a wee bit more—I can get back to worrying about my finances and sanity. While my perennially anaemic finances pose no problem, I frequently lose my temper because of the threatening messages that I receive, especially around the time of filing my income tax return.
Where is the hero?
Mindaathirikku’’ [keep quiet] has been the strong but unstated message to women in Malayalam cinema. “Shut up! And put up with whatever is thrown your way.
THE MAD, BAD NOMAD
From following the trail of Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries in Argentina to being attacked by thugs in Barcelona, Philip George believes in living life dangerously
TUNE OF HER OWN
As she debuts as music composer, Khatija Rahman is determined to carve a path independent of her father's
I want to be like Bhaichung Bhutia; take Indian football to another level
Football has literally taken Lallianzuala Chhangte places. Born in Lunglei, a hilly town in Mizoram, around 160km from Aizawl, Chhangte was introduced to football by his grandfather.
JUNGLE LOOK
THE WEEK goes searching for spiders and geckos alongside wildlife researchers in Maharashtra’s Amboli forest
THE HILLS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE FRAGILE
ON JULY 31, a few hours after the Wayanad landslides, the Union government reissued a draft notification classifying parts of the Western Ghats in six states, including Kerala, as ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs).
Haryana has become the least safe state under BJP
Bhupinder Singh Hooda got the sobriquet ‘Ganga Putra’ after a narrow escape from death in 2003 when his car was swept away by the flooded river Pili in Haridwar.
Accountability of officers who arrest should be fixed
Sporting his trademark pink shirt, Manish Sisodia is his usual affable self. “Yes, I am here now,” says the former deputy chief minister of Delhi with a smile as he sits down for an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, referring to his long stint in jail.
