The Little-Known Strategy That Powered Simone Biles’ Return
Aug 1, 2024; Paris, France; Simone Biles of the United States competes on the beam in the womens gymnastics all-around during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 1, 2024; Paris, France; Simone Biles of the United States competes on the beam in the womens gymnastics all-around during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Very few athletes have redefined their respective sports like gymnastics icon Simone Biles has. But it wasn’t always about her talent, hard work, and athleticism.
“We’re really trying to put the quality in those numbers that we’re doing,” Biles said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in 2024, before the 2024 Paris Games. “I think we’re all learning to train a little bit smarter.”
After withdrawing from several individual events at the 2020 Tokyo Games due to twisties, Biles thought she’d never return to the mats again. But her gold-winning return in 2024 was propelled by a balanced, smart training.
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
The most decorated gymnast in history approached the sport by " thinking) less about gymnastics." It was no longer about doing a lot of gymnastics, but doing the right things for preparation.
As a result, she returned from Paris with 3 gold and one silver, for a total of 11 Olympic medals across 3 appearances. And not only was it an answer to all the criticism she received previously for quitting in Tokyo, but also a lesson for herself.
Simone Biles, an Advocate for Mental Health
Spending the biggest portion of her life doing gymnastics, the competitive pressure and expectations often limited Biles’ identity to winning medals and setting records. But there was a shift in her perspective later on.
“Without therapy, it would not have been possible for me to compete in the Games (Paris 2024),” she said at Sanitas's Future Health event in May 2026. “For the first time, I place great value on other things that are no longer related to gold medals.”
In a sport where perfection is always sought, and athletes are judged on their records, medal counts or podium finishes, Biles powered her return by maintaining a balance, training smartly and refusing her identity to be limited only as a gymnast.
And her 2024 medal haul proved the strategy worked.
But moving forward, do you think Biles will return to the LA28 Olympics with the same mindset, should she choose to? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy