How Simone Biles Turned an Injury Concern Into a Defining Career Moment
Credits Jessica Frankl
Credits Jessica Frankl
In 2024, gymnastics icon Simone Biles returned from Paris with 4 Olympic medals. But what is unknown to many is the state she was in while doing it.
Throughout the 2024 Paris Games, Biles could be seen wearing athletic tape on her left calf. And the reason was a calf “strain slash tear” she got during her warm-up, while doing a triple-double, her signature, the Biles II.
“That hurt really bad. That didn’t feel right. I just felt, like, a weird sensation in my calf muscle,” she said in her Netflix docuseries, Simone Biles Rising. “Whenever something like that happens, you’re so terrified. An injury can happen to any of us at any point.”
Aug 7, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Simone Biles (USA) performs the balance beam during women's gymnastic qualifications in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Rio Olympic Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 7, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Simone Biles (USA) performs the balance beam during women's gymnastic qualifications in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Rio Olympic Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Her fear was not unfounded. Months earlier, teammates Kayla DiCello, Skye Blakely, and Shilese Jones had been sidelined by injuries. Biles, who was “old for a gymnast” at 27, feared the same could happen to her next.
The gymnast even thought of an Achilles tear, an infamous and common injury for gymnasts. Based on an NCBI research, gymnasts commonly suffer Achilles injuries from the explosive runs required for vault and tumbling. Which was exactly what Biles was doing at that moment.
But amidst the injury concerns and looming uncertainty, she proved once more why she’s considered the greatest gymnast of the era.
Simone Biles Didn’t Let the Injury Overthrow Her Victory
At that time, Biles, her coaches and medical experts stood at the crossroads of proceeding with the injury or withdrawing, like the 2020 Tokyo Games and receiving backlash again. And she recalled the moment as a déjà vu.
“Ugh. It was so annoying. And I think that’s what irritated me the most,” she explained. “As soon as I got off the floor, I was like, ‘People are gonna think I’m quitting again.’”
But Biles knew she “could do it physically,” unless her mental health poses a threat. And despite the odds, she clinched three golds and a silver, solidifying her status as the most decorated gymnast in history with 11 Olympic medals.
Her story of resilience has since inspired many. Has it done the same to you? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy