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Simone Biles Says She Thought She Would Be ‘Banned from America’ After Failed Vault at Tokyo Olympics
“As soon as I landed I was like ‘Oh, America hates me ... I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,’ “ Biles recalled
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Simone Biles in 2023Simone Biles is opening up about her mindset during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The gymnast, 27, appeared on the April 17 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast where she shared what was going through her head during her vault at the team event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she got the twisties.
“I knew I was gonna do a vault, but I didn’t know what I was gonna do. And I knew I was gonna try to do a 2 and 1/2 , but I didn’t know how many twists I was gonna make," Biles said.
“Because I couldn’t twist anymore,” she continued. “It’s just like your body, your brain opens up, you have no idea where you are. So I opened, landed like that… And I salute and I want to run. If I could’ve gotten on a plane and flown home, I would’ve done it.”
The athlete said she knew she had messed up the vault as soon as she landed. Biles added it was tough to face the crowds both in Tokyo and at home after that.
“As soon as I landed I was like ‘Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,’ “ she recalled thinking after the vault.
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Simone Biles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics“I was like ‘holy s---,’ what are they gonna say about me," she added.
“Oh, it was like you let the country down,” Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper offered.
“I thought I was going to be banned from America,” Biles admitted.[Because] that’s what they tell you: ‘Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back.’ "
Related: Simone Biles Returning to Gymnastics Competition for First Time Since Tokyo Olympics
The athlete then revealed she knew after the failed vault that it would take time to “get over” the twisties, something which couldn’t be done “overnight” because there was a “disconnect” between her brain and body.
“I go to tell my coach and I said, ‘I’m done. I’m not doing any more.’ Because if I survive that, I don’t know how much else I can survive,” she shared. “‘I always say I’m a cat with nine lives, but I think that was my ninth, I’m done.’ And she’s like, ‘Are you sure?.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, Jordan [Chiles] You’re up.’ "
Following the vault, Biles pulled out of the team and all-around events, citing the need to “focus on her mental health” at the time. However, the gymnast was still there to cheer on her team. She returned later in the competition to win a silver medal in the team event and a bronze medal in the balance beam final.
Biles has over 30 Olympic and World Championship gymnastic medals combined, and is considered one of the sport's greatest athletes of all time.
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