<p>Seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles is planning to return to elite competition for the first time since she bowed out of the 2020 Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<p>Biles stepped away from competition, citing concerns over her mental health, and has not competed. In the time since, she<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/simone-biles-olympic-gymnasts-blister-fbi-over-handling-of-larry-nassar-case-in-explosive-congressional-testimony" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> joined several teammates in testifying</a> on Capitol Hill about the abuse she and others suffered at the hands of former team doctor Larry Nassar. The 26-year-old gymnast also recently married Green Bay Packers strong safety <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/olympic-gold-medal-gymnast-simone-biles-and-jonathan-owens-announce-engagement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Owens</a>.</p>
<p>But according to ESPN, the once-reigning champion plans to compete at the U.S. Classic in early August – just one year ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Simone Biles plans to compete at the U.S. Classic in early August, her first event since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/avQHZN5Yxi">pic.twitter.com/avQHZN5Yxi</a></p>
<p>&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1674080875594522627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>USA Gymnastics confirmed the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/28/simone-biles-return-gymnastics-us-classic?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news</a> on Wednesday, announcing that Biles would be entered into the women&#8217;s field for the U.S. Classic, which is scheduled to take place on August 4-5 at Chicago&#8217;s NOW Arena.</p>
<p>Several of Biles&#8217; teammates from Tokyo will also be entered in Chicago, including Tokyo all-around champion Sunisa Lee – who took home two gold medals from the 2020 Games. Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles, who also competed in Tokyo, are slated to compete as well.</p>
<p><b data-stringify-type="bold"><a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a></b></p>
<p>Biles was the biggest name in gymnastics for years, shocking the world when she announced just after her first competition that she would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/simone-biles-out-of-gymnastics-team-final-in-tokyo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sitting out</a> the rest of the Tokyo Games.</p>
<p>&#8220;Simone has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue,&#8221; U.S.A. Gymnastics <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/07/27/sports/gymnastics-olympics-results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement at the time. &#8220;She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.&#8221;</p>
<p>Biles later revealed that she had suffered from a condition known in gymnastics as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-a-miracle-i-landed-on-my-feet-simone-biles-discusses-twisties-tokyo-experience" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the twisties</a>&#8221; — which causes athletes to lose track of where they are during aerial twists and flips and can potentially result in serious injury.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s so dangerous,&#8221; Biles <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/simone-biles-olympics-2021.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said of her experience in Tokyo</a>. &#8220;It’s basically life or death. It’s a miracle I landed on my feet. If that was any other person, they would have gone out on a stretcher. As soon as I landed that vault, I went and told my coach: &#8216;I cannot continue.'&#8221;</p>


Gymnastics – Artistic – Olympics: Day 11

Simone Biles To Return To Competition One Year Ahead Of Paris Olympics

Celebrities

Gymnastics

Olympics

Simone Biles

Sports

U.S.

<p>President Joe Biden released a list on Friday, naming seventeen people he planned to present with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony scheduled to take place following the July 4th holiday weekend.</p>
<p><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/president-joe-biden-accuses-supreme-court-of-destabilizing-the-country-by-overturning-roe-v-wade/">Biden</a> himself is a recipient of the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/01/12/509545778/in-surprise-send-off-president-obama-awards-biden-presidential-medal-of-freedom">Medal of Freedom</a>, the nation&#8217;s highest civilian honor, which was awarded in 2017 by former President Barack Obama to honor his service both in the Senate and in the Vice Presidency.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,&#8221; the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/01/president-biden-announces-recipients-of-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom/">statement</a> read.</p>
<p>&#8220;President Biden has long said that America can be defined by one word: possibilities. These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith. They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities – and across the world – while blazing trails for generations to come.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BIDEN is giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Gabby Giffords, Simone Biles, Steve Jobs, John McCain, Megan Rapinoe, Alan Simpson, Richard Trumka and Denzel Washington. Among others</p>
<p>&mdash; Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1542886205330800641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The list of recipients, who will receive the award in a ceremony at the White House on July 7, is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/gold-medalist-simone-biles-scores-of-gymnasts-seek-1b-from-fbi-in-nassar-case/">Simone Biles</a>, the most decorated gymnast in history.</li>
<li>Sister Simone Campbell, the former executive director of a Catholic social justice advocacy group.</li>
<li>Dr. Julieta Garcia, the first Hispanic woman to serve as the president of a university</li>
<li>Former Senator <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/feelings-over-facts-wapo-reporter-blames-right-hank-berrien/">Gabrielle Giffords</a> (D-AZ), a survivor of gun violence.</li>
<li>Fred Gray, &#8220;one of the first black members of the Alabama State legislature after Reconstruction.&#8221;</li>
<li>Steve Jobs, founder and longtime head of Apple, Inc., and CEO of PIXAR animation studios.</li>
<li>Father Alexander Karloutsos, former Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/muslim-gold-star-father-trump-black-soul-robert-kraychik/">Khzir Khan</a>, a Gold Star father — who famously feuded with former President Donald Trump after speaking at the Democratic National Convention — and founder of the Constitution Literacy and National Unity Center.</li>
<li>Sandra Lindsay, a &#8220;critical care nurse from New York who served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and was the first to receive the vaccine&#8221; after clinical trials.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/mike-pence-honor-senator-john-mccain-special-jacob-airey/">John McCain</a>, the late U.S. Senator (R-AZ) who was awarded a Purple Heart with one gold star after serving in Vietnam and spending time as a prisoner of war.</li>
<li>Diane Nash, a &#8220;founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee&#8221; who organized a number of civil rights campaigns.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/megan-rapinoe-reacts-to-backlash-says-media-needs-to-get-better-with-criticism-of-womens-sports/">Megan Rapinoe</a>, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion, and a vocal advocate for gender pay equality.</li>
<li>Alan Simpson, former U.S. Senator (D-WY), and advocate for campaign finance reform and marriage equality.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/top-union-leader-slams-bidens-job-killing-order-cost-us-jobs-needs-to-consider-future-of-country/">Richard Trumka</a>, president of the AFL-CIO for more than ten years, president of the United Mine Workers, and secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO.</li>
<li>Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, &#8220;one of the most decorated women in the history of the U.S. military.&#8221;</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/the-devil-got-ahold-of-him-denzel-washington-says-prayer-is-the-only-solution-after-will-smith-slap/">Denzel Washington</a>, an &#8220;actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.&#8221;</li>
<li>Raúl Yzaguirre, a &#8220;civil rights advocate who served as CEO and president of National Council of La Raza for thirty years.&#8221;</li>
</ul>


Democratic National Convention

Biden’s Medal Of Freedom Honorees Include Gold Star Dad Who Feuded With Trump

Biden's Medal Of Freedom Honorees Include Gold Star Dad Who Feuded With Trump

Gold Star

Joe Biden

John McCain

Military

<p class="Component-root-0-2-72 Component-p-0-2-63">Olympic gold medalist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/simone-biles">Simone Biles</a> and nearly 90 more women are seeking $1 billion from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi">FBI</a> for its failure to stop sports doctor and convicted child molester <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/larry-nassar">Larry Nassar</a> from assaulting them.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-72 Component-p-0-2-63">The Department of Justice has acknowledged that FBI agents knew as early as 2015 that Larry Nassar was accused of assaulting gymnasts, but they took no action and his assault on girls and young women he treated for the USA Gymnastics Team continued for more than a year. The approximately 90 claimants include Biles and fellow Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, according to Manly, Stewart &amp; Finaldi, a California law firm.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-72 Component-p-0-2-63">“It is time for the FBI to be held accountable,” said Maggie Nichols, a national champion gymnast at Oklahoma in 2017-19.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Former Olympic gymnasts, including gold medalist Simone Biles, are among dozens of assault victims who are seeking more than $1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop sports doctor Larry Nassar, lawyers said. <a href="https://t.co/MSmz2ljdZb">https://t.co/MSmz2ljdZb</a></p>
<p>&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1534492445370728449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Announcement of the tort claim comes just two weeks after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-fbi-agents-who-dropped-ball-in-usa-gymnastics-molestation-case-wont-be-charged-doj-says">DOJ announced it would not charge two former FBI agents</a> who were found by the department&#8217;s inspector general to have lied about their work on the case. Nassar, the now-58-year-old doctor from Michigan State University who is in prison for life for possession of child pornography and molesting at least 10 underage girls. Prosecutors suspect he sexually assaulted hundreds of girls under the guise of rendering medical treatment.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-72 Component-p-0-2-63">“If the FBI had simply done its job, Nassar would have been stopped before he ever had the chance to abuse hundreds of girls, including me,” said former University of Michigan gymnast Samantha Roy.</p>
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<p class="Component-root-0-2-72 Component-p-0-2-63"><a class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-sports-united-states-olympic-team-larry-nassar-gymnastics-45043ed1cba5a19daf61e778ebc00b64">USA Gymnastics</a> officials told local FBI agents in 2015 that three gymnasts claimed Nassar had assaulted them while serving as team doctor. But the FBI did not open a formal investigation or inform federal or state authorities in Michigan, where Nassar was employed at Michigan State University, according to the DOJ&#8217;s inspector general, Michael Horowitz. Agents in Los Angeles began a sexual tourism investigation against Nassar a year later, but also failed to alert Michigan authorities, Horowitz found.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-72 Component-p-0-2-63">Nassar was finally arrested in late 2016 during an investigation by Michigan State University police.</p>
</div>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-72 Component-p-0-2-63">Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco ordered a review of the agents involved after several gymnasts gave tearful testimony to the House Judiciary Committee last September, but later decided that neither W. Jay Abbott, who has retired nor Michael Langeman, who was fired last year, would be charged.</p>
<p>“I blame Larry Nassar, and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse,” Biles told lawmakers.</p>
<div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body">
<p class="font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md" data-qa="drop-cap-letter" data-el="text">At least 330 girls and women have said Nassar molested them.</p>
</div>
<div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body">
<p class="font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md" data-qa="drop-cap-letter" data-el="text">FBI Director Christopher Wray called the bureau’s failures “inexcusable.”</p>
<p class="font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md" data-qa="drop-cap-letter" data-el="text">“It never should have happened, and we’re doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again,” he said.</p>
</div>


Gold Medalist Simone Biles, Scores of Gymnasts Seek $1B From FBI In Nassar Case

Larry Nassar

<p>Simone Biles talked about the decision she made to pull out of several events at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 due to mental health concerns and said &#8220;walking away&#8221; from the Olympics, in the end, was her &#8220;biggest win.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Walking away from the Olympic Games was a win in itself,&#8221; Biles shared during the <a href="https://www.inclusiveleadership.com/conferences-events/conferences/simmons-leadership-conference/">43rd annual Simmons Leadership Conference</a>, <a href="https://people.com/sports/simone-biles-says-walking-out-of-the-tokyo-olympics-was-my-biggest-win/?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&amp;utm_content=new&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_term=62583f61d7fd76000187835d">reported</a> People magazine in a piece published Thursday.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know a lot of people thought I failed because they expected me to go out with five or six medals, but walking out of it was my biggest win,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I had to put myself into consideration for one of the first times throughout my career. Most of the time, I&#8217;ve always put myself on the back burner, because I&#8217;ve always cared and thought about everybody else before myself.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I was like, &#8216;You know what? I have to do what&#8217;s best for me, what&#8217;s safe, and what&#8217;s healthy for me,’” she added, as she explained how continuing to compete even though her &#8220;mind and body were not in sync&#8221; would&#8217;ve been &#8220;selfish.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;That would be so selfish of me to put the team&#8217;s medal contention in jeopardy, put myself in jeopardy,&#8221; Biles continued. &#8220;I had to be like, &#8216;Simone, it&#8217;s okay. It&#8217;s not the end of the world, it&#8217;s just sports. If you walk away from this and you still are walking, that&#8217;s a win in your book.’”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Simone Biles Says Walking Out of Tokyo Olympics Event Was &#39;My Biggest Win&#39;  <a href="https://t.co/uQCCWlYv5u">https://t.co/uQCCWlYv5u</a></p>
<p>&mdash; People (@people) <a href="https://twitter.com/people/status/1514628552259428359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The four-time Olympic gold medalist also called her decision to walk away from four out of five of the event finals &#8220;probably the most courageous&#8221; she&#8217;s ever been.</p>
<p>&#8220;I had worked for five years and I didn&#8217;t want to let that dream go,&#8221; Simone shared. &#8220;I had to put myself first, listen to my mind and body, what my heart was telling me to do. I had to put my pride aside and say, &#8216;Okay, this isn&#8217;t going to work.’”</p>
<p>Biles talked about how the restrictions due to the pandemic had changed the traditional experience of the Olympics, recalling it feeling &#8220;very lonely.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We go over to Tokyo and no audience is allowed, we&#8217;re quarantined in our rooms, and can only come out for breakfast, lunch and dinner,&#8221; the Olympian explained during the conference. &#8220;Everyone expected us to perform in a certain manner. There was no camaraderie, and my parents weren&#8217;t able to go there. My parents haven&#8217;t missed a competition in my life.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;For the world to expect some of these athletes to go above and beyond when we&#8217;re all going through the same thing and trying to survive a pandemic was really strange for me mentally,&#8221; she added.</p>
<p>As previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/olympic-gold-medal-gymnast-simone-biles-and-jonathan-owens-announce-engagement">reported</a> by The Daily Wire:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Biles withdrew from several events, citing mental health concerns. The move drew criticism from many, including voices calling her a quitter for pulling out of the events.</em></p>
<p><em>“Definitely not the way I planned the olympics going but I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I’m proud of myself and the career I’ve had thus far. This olympics doesn’t erase the past accomplishments I’ve achieved nor does it define who I am as an athlete,” Biles posted to Instagram.</em></p>
<p><em>“I’ve pushed through so much the past couple years, the word quitter is not in my vocabulary,” Biles continued. “For some of you that may be how you define me but keep talking because I can’t hear you over my 7 olympic medals which tied me for the most decorated gymnast EVER as well as most decorated american [sic] gymnast.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/olympic-gold-medal-gymnast-simone-biles-and-jonathan-owens-announce-engagement">Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens Announce Engagement</a></strong></p>


Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles Talks Walking Away From Tokyo Olympics, Calls It Her ‘Biggest Win’

Tokyo Olympics

<p>Gold medal gymnast Simon Biles announced on Instagram Tuesday that she is engaged to NFL player Jonathan Owens, saying, &#8220;I can&#8217;t wait to spend forever &amp; ever with you.&#8221;</p>
<p>Biles took to social media to make the news official Tuesday, including several pictures of the proposal in Houston, Texas, along with a close-up video of her massive engagement ring.</p>
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<p>&#8220;THE EASIEST YES,&#8221; Biles wrote. &#8220;I can’t wait to spend forever &amp; ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! let’s get married FIANCÉ.&#8221;</p>
<p>Owens replied back, &#8220;Ready for forever with you.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Houston Texans&#8217; star also took to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaAH2hjrvdN/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> to share his own account of the proposal.</p>
<p>&#8220;Woke up this morning with a fiancée 💍❤️.&#8221;</p>
<p>Biles, 24, and Owens, 26, have been dating since at least August 2020 when a post <a href="https://people.com/sports/simone-biles-dating-jonathan-owens/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> of the couple on social media.</p>
<p>In August 2021, Biles <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFyYJSlUYa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a>, &#8220;oops I forgot to tell y&#8217;all that we&#8217;ve been dating for more than a year 🤍 so happy past 1 year to the best thing that&#8217;s ever happened to you: ME 🤍🤣.&#8221;</p>
<p>The post to mark their first year together came shortly after controversy regarding Biles&#8217; performance in the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.</p>
<p>Biles withdrew from several events, citing mental health concerns. The move drew criticism from many, including voices calling her a quitter for pulling out of the events.</p>
<p>“Definitely not the way I planned the olympics going but I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I’m proud of myself and the career I’ve had thus far. This olympics doesn’t erase the past accomplishments I’ve achieved nor does it define who I am as an athlete,” Biles <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTZ_ph6HV_u/">posted</a> to Instagram.</p>
<p>“I’ve pushed through so much the past couple years, the word quitter is not in my vocabulary,” Biles continued. “For some of you that may be how you define me but keep talking because I can’t hear you over my 7 olympic medals which tied me for the most decorated gymnast EVER as well as most decorated american [sic] gymnast.”</p>
<p>In December, Biles&#8217; controversy returned to headlines once again as the gymnast was named Time Magazine&#8217;s &#8220;Athlete of the Year&#8221; despite not performing as she had hoped during the Olympics.</p>
<p>“At that point, it was no longer about medaling, but about getting back out there,” Biles <a href="https://time.com/athlete-of-the-year-2021-simone-biles/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=person-of-the-year&amp;utm_term=_&amp;linkId=143625257">told</a> Time. “I wanted to compete at the Olympics again and have that experience that I came for. I didn’t really care about the outcome. On that beam, it was for me.”</p>
<p>The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/simone-biles-named-times-athlete-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>In her first appearance at the Tokyo Games — in the women’s all-around competition — Biles was forced to withdraw after landing awkwardly on her vault attempt. Her teammates went on without her, managing to take home the silver medal. Biles’ decision was widely questioned, with many feeling that she quit on her team. But Biles said her decision was made with the team in mind, choosing to withdraw in order to not jeopardize a medal for her teammates. </em></p>
<p><em>“I was like: I think the girls need to do the rest of the competition without me,” Biles <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/27/sport/simone-biles-tokyo-2020-olympics/index.html">said</a> after the event. “They were like ‘I promise you’ll be fine, we watched you warm-up’. But I said ‘no, I know I am going to be fine but I can’t risk a medal for the team and I need to call it.”</em></p>
<p><em>“You usually don’t hear me say things like that because I usually persevere and push through things, but not to cost the team a medal. So they were like: OK, if Simone says this, we need to take it pretty serious. I had the correct people around me to do that,” she said.</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em>The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.</em></p>


Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens

Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens Announce Engagement

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simone Biles is not done discussing her most recent Olympic experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s hard to blame her after all the negativity she received after withdrawing from the women’s all-around final due to her mental state and experiencing what gymnasts know as the “twisties.”  </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles spoke with Camonghne Felix of “<a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/simone-biles-olympics-2021.html">The Cut</a>” about her Olympic experience and her mental state during the international event. She discussed the vault attempt that forced her to withdraw from competition. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s so dangerous,” Biles </span><a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/simone-biles-olympics-2021.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">explains</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “It’s basically life or death. It’s a miracle I landed on my feet. If that was any other person, they would have gone out on a stretcher. As soon as I landed that vault, I went and told my coach: ‘I cannot continue.’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her explanation of experiencing the “twisties” did not come immediately after the event, which more than likely contributed to many in the media questioning her resolve. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve never felt like this going into a competition before,” Biles </span><a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31895953/simone-biles-tokyo-olympics-team-final-usa-gymnastics-cites-medical-issue"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to reporters after the event. “I tried to go out here and have fun. And warmup in the back went a little bit better but then once I came out here…No. Mental’s not there. So, I just need to let the girls do it and focus on myself.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It made Biles appear somewhat selfish as she left her teammates mid-competition, but there was so much more going on in her life that we were unable to fully understand. </span></p>
<p>“If I still had my air awareness, and I just was having a bad day, I would have continued,” Biles says. “But it was more than that.”</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last week, Biles spoke in front of Congress, detailing the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar and blasting the FBI for their handling of the case. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I sit before you today to raise my voice so that no little girl must endure what I, the athletes at this table, and the countless others who needlessly suffered under Nassar’s guise of medical treatment,” Biles said in her testimony. “Which we continue to endure today. We suffered and continue to suffer because no one at [the] FBI, USAG, or the USOPC [U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee] did what was necessary in order to protect us. We have been failed and we deserve answers. Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable … In reviewing the OIG’s report, it truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us and went out of its way to help protect USAG and USOPC.”</span></p>
<p>Biles told &#8220;The Cut&#8221; how the Nassar saga impacted her, saying that she should not have attempted to compete in Tokyo.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you looked at everything I’ve gone through for the past seven years, I should have never made another Olympic team,” Biles </span><a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/simone-biles-olympics-2021.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “I should have quit way before Tokyo when Larry Nassar was in the media for two years. It was too much. But I was not going to let him take something I’ve worked for since I was 6 years old. I wasn’t going to let him take that joy away from me. So I pushed past that for as long as my mind and my body would let me.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles’ Tokyo experience may be the last we see of her on the Olympic stage. She’ll be 27 when the 2024 Olympics in Paris come round, old for a gymnast. But Biles has not shut the door on competing, telling NBC’s “Today” show that she is yet to make a decision. </span></p>
<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.</i></p>


Gold Over America Tour – Los Angeles

‘It’s A Miracle I Landed On My Feet’: Simone Biles Discusses ‘Twisties,’ Tokyo Experience

<p>Gymnasts Simone Biles, Maggie Nichols, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney shocked Congress on Wednesday, revealing details of the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar and blistering the FBI, which they say failed to act on repeated reports that American gymnasts and may have even covered up evidence of an abusive system.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing examining the FBI’s handling of the Larry Nassar case, in which the four Olympic gymnasts &#8212; Biles, Nichols, Raisman, and Maroney &#8212; testified about the abuse they suffered under the former Olympic gymnastics doctor&#8217;s care and how the FBI failed to act on their reports. </span></p>
<p>The hearing comes days after FBI agent <span style="font-weight: 400;">Michael Langeman was fired for failing to pursue an investigation into the gymnasts&#8217; claims.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In July, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General released a report criticizing Langeman — unnamed at the time — and his boss Jay Abbott for their handling of the Nassar case.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2015, Langeman interviewed Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney regarding her allegations that Nassar abused her. The report by the inspector general states that Langeman and Abbot never “officially opened an investigation” and lied to investigators about their actions. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The report states that Abbott — who is retired — told the FBI to release false statements in 2017 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/14/politics/justice-department-investigation-report-nassar/index.html">saying</a> that his office “expeditiously responded” to the allegations against Nassar. </span></p>
<p>On Wednesday, <span style="font-weight: 400;">Raisman said that it took over fourteen months for FBI agents to contact her after her report to USAG [USA Gymnastics] in June 2015 that Nassar abused her and that Nassar continued to sexually assault dozens of young women and girls during that time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;From July 2015, when the allegations were first reported to the FBI, to September 2016, Nassar continued to treat gymnasts at Michigan State University, a high school in Michigan, and a gymnastics club in Michigan,&#8221; the report </span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/watchdog-report-blasts-fbi-fundamental-errors-gymnastics-sex-abuse-investigation-n1273987"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. &#8220;Ultimately the investigations determined that Nassar had engaged in sexual assaults of over 100 victims and possessed thousands of images of child pornography, led to his convictions in federal and state court, and resulted in Nassar being sentenced to incarceration for over 100 years.&#8221;</span></p>
<p>Biles gave an especially emotional testimony, stating that &#8220;the lingering trauma from her abuse at the hands of Nassar played a factor in her decision to opt out of several competitions&#8221; during the Tokyo Olympics, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/simone-biles-gymnastics-sexual-abuse-larry-nassar-cb63ffbfd09d9d4ffe21561aa63d3ca5">The Associated Press</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I sit before you today to raise my voice so that no little girl must endure what I, the athletes at this table, and the countless others who needlessly suffered under Nassar’s guise of medical treatment,” Biles said in her testimony. “Which we continue to endure today. We suffered and continue to suffer because no one at [the] FBI, USAG, or the USOPC [U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee] did what was necessary in order to protect us. We have been failed and we deserve answers. Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable … In reviewing the OIG’s report, it truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us and went out of its way to help protect USAG and USOPC.” </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simone_Biles</a>: &quot;We suffered and continue to suffer because no one at <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> or U.S. AG or USOPC did what was necessary to protect us. We have been failed and we deserve answers. Nassar is where he belongs but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fnfWU8RhCw">pic.twitter.com/fnfWU8RhCw</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1438161991722573827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maroney testified that the FBI made false claims regarding her story of abuse at the hands of Nassar. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As most of you are probably aware, I was molested by the U.S. gymnastics national team and Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar,” Maroney said in her testimony. “In actuality, he turned out to be more of a pedophile than he was a doctor … After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said. After reading the Office of Inspector General&#8217;s OIG report, I was shocked and deeply disappointed at this narrative they chose to fabricate. They chose to lie about what I said and protect a serial child molester rather than protect not only me, but countless others.”</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/McKaylaMaroney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@McKaylaMaroney</a>: &quot;After telling my entire story of abuse to the <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report, 17 months later, they made up entirely false claims about what I said.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/CC7Wpvg27U">pic.twitter.com/CC7Wpvg27U</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1438162661871656968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>FBI Director Christopher Wray apologized in his opening statements for the FBI&#8217;s failure to stop Nassar.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m deeply and profoundly sorry to each and every one of you,&#8221; Wray <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/fbi-director-wray-nassar-monster-gymnasts-biles-maroney-hearing-174019967.html">said</a> in his opening statement. &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry for what you and your families have been through. I&#8217;m sorry so many people let you down over and over again. And I&#8217;m especially sorry there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed, and that is inexcusable. It never should have happened, and we&#8217;re doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again.&#8221;</p>
<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.</i></p>


US Gymnasts Testify As Senate Examines FBI’s Handling Of Larry Nassar Investigation

Simone Biles, Olympic Gymnasts Blister FBI Over Handling Of Larry Nassar Case In Explosive Congressional Testimony

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simone Biles has not forgotten that many categorized her withdrawal from multiple gymnastic events at the Tokyo Olympics as the actions of a “quitter.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles was at the center of controversy in which both sides of the political aisle dug in their heels in order to either defend Biles’ actions or hammer her over them. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the weekend, Biles had a message for those who called her a “quitter” and flashed some of her medals for good measure. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Definitely not the way I planned the olympics going but I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I’m proud of myself and the career I’ve had thus far. This olympics doesn’t erase the past accomplishments I’ve achieved nor does it define who I am as an athlete,” Biles <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTZ_ph6HV_u/">posted</a> to Instagram.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “I’ve pushed through so much the past couple years, the word quitter is not in my vocabulary,&#8221; Biles continued. &#8220;For some of you that may be how you define me but keep talking because I can’t hear you over my 7 olympic medals which tied me for the most decorated gymnast EVER as well as most decorated american gymnast</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.” </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Biles saga was one of the main talking points of the Tokyo Olympics. The champion gymnast was expected to dominate her way to multiple gold medals at the 2020 Olympic Games, but instead became the face of the mental health movement among athletes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After withdrawing from the women’s all-around team competition, Biles told reporters that her “mentals” weren’t there, and</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> she didn’t want to jeopardize the team’s chances at a medal or risk hurting herself during the event. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Physically, I feel good, I’m in shape,” Biles </span><a href="https://www.today.com/news/simone-biles-says-physically-she-feels-good-it-varies-emotionally-t226561?cid=sm_npd_td_tw_ma"><span style="font-weight: 400;">told</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Hoda Kotb exclusively on TODAY after her withdrawal. “Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn’t an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m OK, just super frustrated of how the night played out, but super proud of these girls that stepped up and did what they needed to do and now we’re Olympic silver medalists, so it’s something that we’ll cherish forever,” Biles said. “We hope America still loves us.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles pointed to suffering from the “twisties” — a condition in which gymnasts lose where they are in the air — as to the reason behind her withdrawal from multiple events. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles returned to competition on the balance beam, and while she was nowhere near her best, still managed to win bronze in the event. </span></p>
<p>Despite Biles&#8217; absence, the women&#8217;s gymnastics team had some bright spots in Tokyo. Suni Lee — just 18 years old — became the fifth straight American woman to take home the gold in the all-around competition.</p>
<p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-success-story-who-is-all-around-gold-medal-gymnast-suni-lee">American Success Story: Who Is All-Around Gold Medal Gymnast Suni Lee?</a></strong></p>
<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.</i></p>


Simone Biles Flashes Her Medals, Says She Wouldn’t Change Anything From The Tokyo Olympics

<p>Gymnast Simone Biles said she supports abortion on Monday because “the foster care system is broken” and “adoption is expensive.”</p>
<p>Biles shared her opinion on her Instagram while taking “unpopular opinion” prompts from her followers. She later walked back her post after taking heat online for appearing to support aborting a child over putting it into foster care.</p>
<p>“I already know this is going to start the biggest argument &amp; may even lose followers BUT,” Biles’ response began, “I’m very much pro-choice. Your body. Your choice.”</p>
<p>“Also for everyone gonna say ‘put it up for adoption,’” she continued, “it’s not that easy &amp; coming from someone who was in the foster care system TRUST me [the] foster care system is broken &amp; it’s TOUGH. Especially on the kids and young adults who age out.”</p>
<p>“&amp; adoption is expensive … im just saying,” she added.</p>
<p>Biles then took a shot at people who are refusing to abide by renewed and continued mask mandates. “&amp; don’t even come at me if you couldn’t keep a mask on. or refused to wear one,” Biles added.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simone_Biles</a> says she’s “very much pro-choice” as “someone who was in the foster care system.” <a href="https://t.co/z5I8E0Gsxf">pic.twitter.com/z5I8E0Gsxf</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1425066346182844418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Biles&#8217;s stance sparked some backlash online. Live Action president and pro-life advocate Lila Rose said that Biles’ message to her followers is “incredibly sad and awful.”</p>
<p>“Simone Biles just announced on Instagram that she is very ‘pro-choice’ because ‘the foster care system is broken.’ Incredibly sad and awful. To have overcome a broken system as triumphantly as she has — yet wish death for other kids bc they may face foster care is beyond fathoming,” Rose <a href="https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1424868596996448256">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>Biles took to Twitter Tuesday to deny allegations that she supported abortion over putting a child into foster care. She claimed her critics were misconstruing her words.</p>
<p>“DO NOT misconstrue my words. That is not at all what I implied. I did NOT say I support to abort rather than to put them through the foster care system. What I did imply is that you should not control someone elses [sic] body/decision. Let’s be real what you care about is control,” Bile <a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles/status/1425049318730387459">said</a>.</p>
<p>“I have forever &amp; will continue to support foster kids. AS I WAS ONE. I’ve been an advocate for foster kids and the system but you wouldn’t know that because you don’t follow me, you just like to open your mouth,” she continued. “also if you have a fake account don’t even talk to me. Y’all piss me off to no end. I’m done because you’ll twist my words however it feels fitting to spew hate. Also if anyone is seeing this just know I support you doing whatever feels fitting for YOU.”</p>
<p>Biles <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/simone-biles-battles-back-takes-home-bronze-on-balance-beam">won</a> a bronze medal for her individual performance on the balance beam at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles, who entered the Olympics at the top of her sport, pulled out of much the gymnastics competition after getting the “twisties,”</p>
<p>“My mind and body are simply not in sync,” Biles later explained.</p>
<p>Biles’ exit left room for Team USA gymnasts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stepping-up-suni-lee-wins-gold-for-america-after-simone-biles-pulls-out-of-competition">Sunisa Lee</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stepping-up-jade-carey-wins-gold-for-usa-in-floor-competition-after-biles-withdrawal">Jade Carey</a> to win gold medals in the individual all-around competition and in the floor competition, respectively.</p>


Simone Biles Says She Supports Abortion: ‘Foster Care System Is Broken,’ ‘Adoption Is Expensive’

Abortion

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sports is not strictly about wins and losses. It’s the tales that come in between the victories and defeats, the stories of redemption and perseverance that tell the full story.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We spent a full week arguing over whether Simone Biles was either a coward or a hero, but it’s her comeback story — and the battles she&#8217;s fighting — that should be the focus.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Tuesday evening in Tokyo, Biles returned to competition — after withdrawing from the women’s team finals and not participating in four consecutive individual events — and gave us a reminder of why sports can be so impactful.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles hopped on the balance beam and battled through whatever she was fighting, managing to win a bronze medal when she clearly was not at her best.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;It means more than all the golds because I&#8217;ve pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I&#8217;ve even been here. It was very emotional, and I&#8217;m just proud of myself and just all of these girls, as well,&#8221; Biles said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles has had a hellacious week. After taking herself out of the women’s team competition last Tuesday, we started in on her. It was an easy topic for the media and sports fans alike to jump on. We all went to our corners and duked it out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Everything must be one extreme or another. There is never a middle ground, a second to step back and think about the varying ways of approaching a sensitive subject. Biles is a 24-year-old international star who was lauded as the greatest thing to happen to gymnastics since the sport&#8217;s invention. She wasn’t just competing for five gold medals in Tokyo, she was expected to dominate on her way to five golds.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you understand the pressure? I&#8217;ll answer for you — you don’t, and neither do I.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It clearly became too much for her last Tuesday. Did she handle it correctly directly after withdrawing from the team competition? Probably not, but at the same time, would any of us if we were in the same situation?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She made it all about herself, saying the catch-phrases that we’ve grown to see as “trigger” words.</span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I just need to let the girls do it and focus on myself.”</span></i></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You want to do it for yourself.”</span></i></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I have to focus on my mental health.”</span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We should have cut her some slack after the competition in which she embarrassingly had to withdraw due to the fact that she was unable to complete gymnastics moves that she performs on a daily basis. There is no way she was in the right frame of mind to answer the questions honestly and accurately, not to mention there’s a decent chance she has people around her giving her advice on which words to use.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But we didn’t. Some pounced on an opportunity to take her down, taking the cheap and easy way out by calling her a coward and a quitter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those who did refused to take a step back and think about what she has gone through in her life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Former gymnast Andrea Orris shined a light on what Biles was going through in a message on social media.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It makes me so frustrated to see comments about Simone not being mentally tough enough or quitting on her team,” the message </span><a href="https://nypost.com/2021/07/28/simone-biles-shares-message-on-larry-nassar-abuse-after-opting-out-of-olympics/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">states</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are talking about the same girl who was molested by her team doctor throughout her entire childhood and teen years, won the world all-around championship title while passing a kidney stone, put her body through an extra year of training through the pandemic, added so much difficulty to her routines that the judges literally do not know how to properly rate her skills bc they are so ahead of her time,” the statement continues.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After her bronze medal on the balance beam, Biles told reporters that she was also dealing with the sudden death of her aunt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;At the end of the day, people don&#8217;t understand what we are going through,&#8221; Biles said, via </span><a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/simone-biles-people-don-t-understand-what-we-re-going-through"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Olympics.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. &#8220;Two days ago, I woke up and my aunt unexpectedly passed, and it wasn&#8217;t any easier being here at the Olympic Games.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And then there’s the other side of the aisle.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The side that labeled Biles as a “hero” for withdrawing from the competition. You know you’re in a strange time when a superior athlete having to give up on her dreams is labeled heroic. It wasn’t “true strength” to pull out of the competition. It was painful to watch.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The endless articles on how Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka are “role models” for “prioritizing their mental health” were ludicrous.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The appropriate take was that it was okay for Biles to withdraw from the competition. She has proven herself at the highest possible level time and time again. If she was worried about hurting herself as she experienced the “twisties,” who are we to tell her she must risk her physical health in order to prove to us that she’s a “team player?”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was also appropriate to say that in no way should she be labeled as a hero for stepping away for a period of time. She did let down her teammates after all. In team sports, it’s not just about you. You’re simply one cog in the machine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was disappointing and sad to see her struggle, but also phenomenal to watch her battle back and return to competing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I hope we’ve all learned something from the Biles saga. Sometimes, situations can’t be seen simply through one lens. We have to take a step back and have empathy for what an individual is going through, even when we have no ability to understand.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m proud of Biles. I hope to see her again in future Olympic Games. If I don’t, at least I’ll remember her as going out fighting. Clearly not at the top of her game, but battling through the negativity and fake praise to simply compete.</span></p>
<p><em>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.</em></p>
<p><i>The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.</i></p>


OPINION: The Simone Biles Saga Is One We Can Learn From

<p>Appearing on NBC’s Today Show after competing in the balance beam final at the Tokyo Olympics, in which she won a bronze medal on Tuesday, American gymnast Simon Biles, who had withdrawn from numerous prior events and cited suffering from the “twisties,” stated, “It means more than all of the golds because I have pushed through so much in the last five years and the last week while I&#8217;ve even been here. It was very emotional and I&#8217;m just proud of myself.”</p>
<p>She addressed critics who had slammed her after her prior withdrawals by asserting that the biggest misconception about her mental health issues was “that I was at no risk and mental health isn&#8217;t a serious issue, that it was basically a copout. … But the girls saw me in training, my coaches saw me in training. I physically couldn&#8217;t do [my routines] safely and it&#8217;s because I was getting so lost in the air. Before team finals, the girls were terrified for me. And they&#8217;ve never really been scared whenever I do something, but they were really nervous,” according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9855239/Simone-Biles-takes-balance-beam-training-session-todays-final.html">Daily Mail</a>.</p>
<p>“I was really nervous,” Biles said of the balance beam final. “I didn&#8217;t really care about the outcome. I was just happy that I made the routine and I got to compete one more time.”</p>
<p>Speaking about any future attempts to compete in the Olympics, she stated, “I definitely am going to take some time and let this Olympics sink in because I don&#8217;t [feel] like I did that after 2016. So I&#8217;m going to let this sink in. &#8230; We&#8217;ll just see.”</p>
<p>USA Gymnastics tweeted after the balance beam final, “‘Leading by example. Simone Biles closed the show with a bronze at the Balance Beam final. The GOAT got it done. … All smiles for Biles! What a showcase of perseverance and strength, closing this Olympics campaign with a bronze medal!”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leading by example ✨</p>
<p>Simone Biles (<a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simone_Biles</a>) closed the show with a <br />🥉 at the Balance Beam Final today! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/rsIRIinvtp">pic.twitter.com/rsIRIinvtp</a></p>
<p>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1422493259000057870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The 🐐 got it done. <a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simone_Biles</a> returns to win bronze on beam. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TokyoOlympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TokyoOlympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/oFe4MH3cMl">pic.twitter.com/oFe4MH3cMl</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1422492814949060612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All smiles for Biles! 😄</p>
<p>What a showcase of perseverance and strength, closing this Olympics campaign with a bronze medal! 🙌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/Esivi6RRJa">pic.twitter.com/Esivi6RRJa</a></p>
<p>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1422495426184351746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Biles pulled out of the prior events last week, citing suffering from the “twisties,” in which the brains of gymnasts and divers lose connection with the body, and the muscle memory that has been built in by years of practice suddenly fails.</p>
<p>Last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/simone-biles-will-compete-in-balance-beam-event-on-tuesday/">wanting to give evidence</a> that what triggered her decision to withdraw from the team final and the individual all-around was a genuine physical issue, Biles posted videos of her practicing on the uneven bars and crashing to the mat when she attempted a dismount.</p>
<p>Biles addressed her critics by writing on the first video, which showed her landing on her back, “For anyone saying I quit. I didn&#8217;t quit, my mind and body are simply not in sync. As you can see. I don&#8217;t think you realize how hard this is on hard/competition surface. Nor do I have to explain why I put health first. Physical health is mental health. I’m supposed to do 1 ½ more twists.”</p>
<p>In the second video, showing her landing on her feet and then falling, Biles wrote, reacting to claims she should have left the competition earlier, “Almost there but not quite. Still have ½ twist to go. No, this was not happening before I left the USA. It randomly started happening after prelims competition the VERY next morning. By that time NO an alternate was not allowed to be placed in my position for you ‘know it alls.’”</p>
<p>“We have 4 on a team for a reason,” she continued. “I chose to not continue competition in jeopardizing losing a medal (of any color) for the girls/US. Also for my own safety and health.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">On her IG stories, Simone Biles responds to people who think she “quit” on her team by explaining the “the twisties” she’s been experiencing and what it feels like “not having your mind and body in sync” …. <a href="https://t.co/79hN973rkd">pic.twitter.com/79hN973rkd</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByKimberleyA/status/1420962059894808578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>


Simone Biles After Winning Bronze In Final Event: ‘It Means More Than All Of The Golds’

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Simone Biles took some time off, got herself right, and got back to doing what she was born to do — competing at the highest level of her sport.  </span></p>
<p>Her self-removal from competition earlier in the Olympics was neither heroic nor cowardly, simply disappointing for the fans who wanted to watch greatness. It made her return one to remember.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tuesday evening in Tokyo, Biles returned to competition in the women&#8217;s individual balance beam final and took home her seventh Olympic medal by winning bronze. Her seven Olympic medals ties her with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals by an American gymnast. </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Making history. Always. <a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simone_Biles</a> ties the record for the most Olympic medals won by a U.S. gymnast. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TokyoOlympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TokyoOlympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/4lXZ6waUeQ">pic.twitter.com/4lXZ6waUeQ</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1422493484582273024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Biles was far from perfect on the beam but had a solid performance as she earned a score of 14.000. China topped the leaderboard, with Guan Chenchen of China winning gold with a score of 14.633 and Tang Xijing taking home the silver medal with a 14.233.</p>
<p>It was a repeat of her performance at the Rio Olympics in 2016, where Biles also placed third on the beam.</p>
<p>Sunisa Lee — who won gold in the women&#8217;s individual all-around last week — finished fifth on the beam.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m really proud of myself, I&#8217;m actually super happy with the way this turned out,&#8221; Lee <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/tokyo-olympics-live-updates/2021/08/03/1024122723/simone-biles-return-balance-beam-gymnastics-olympics?utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_term=nprnews&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=npr">said</a>. &#8220;I really love Simone and just having her by my side was super great because she is a role model to me.&#8221;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was Biles&#8217; second event of the Tokyo Olympics after withdrawing from the women’s team final and sitting out the individual events on the uneven bars, vault, and all-round. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her mid-competition withdrawal during the team competition last week was a shocking disappointment, though the U.S. still managed to win the silver medal. Biles lost herself in mid-air on her first and only vault attempt and landed awkwardly before taking a big step forward. She was given a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">low score of 13.766 points and exited the floor with the U.S. trainer. After returning to the floor, Biles was replaced by Jordan Chiles on the uneven bars and it was announced that Biles was out for the rest of the competition. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the competition, Biles admitted that her “mental’s” weren’t there, and she didn’t want to jeopardize the team&#8217;s chances at a medal or risk hurting herself during the event. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Physically, I feel good, I’m in shape,” Biles </span><a href="https://www.today.com/news/simone-biles-says-physically-she-feels-good-it-varies-emotionally-t226561?cid=sm_npd_td_tw_ma"><span style="font-weight: 400;">told</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Hoda Kotb exclusively on TODAY after her withdrawal. “Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn’t an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m OK, just super frustrated of how the night played out, but super proud of these girls that stepped up and did what they needed to do and now we’re Olympic silver medalists, so it’s something that we’ll cherish forever,” Biles said. “We hope America still loves us.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles had struggled before the finals, leading the U.S. team to a second place finish behind Russia in the qualifiers.  It was the first time the Americans have failed to finish first in team standings since the 2010 world championships. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Biles admitted to having the “weight of the world” on her shoulders after qualifying. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times,” Biles </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRxsq_kBZrP/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">wrote</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on Instagram. “I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The Olympics is no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually. They mean the world to me.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her stunning withdrawal stirred a major conversation around mental health and whether Biles should have fought through her struggles in order to help her teammates. Biles has stated that she’s suffering from the “twisties” — a term used by gymnasts to describe when they get lost in the air — and she took to social media last week to show what she’s been fighting through. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For anyone saying I quit. I didn’t quit, my mind and body are simply not in sync,” Biles wrote in a video. “As you can see. I don’t think you realize how hard this is on hard/competition surface. Nor do I have to explain why I put health first. Physical health is mental health. I’m supposed to do 1 ½ more twists.”</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">On her IG stories, Simone Biles responds to people who think she “quit” on her team by explaining the “the twisties” she’s been experiencing and what it feels like “not having your mind and body in sync” …. <a href="https://t.co/79hN973rkd">pic.twitter.com/79hN973rkd</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByKimberleyA/status/1420962059894808578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.</i></p>


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