Simone Biles romancing the rings again
The 732-day hiatus saw Simone back in full poetry, emotions that captured her brilliance.
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Simone Biles (Image Credits: AMY SANDERSON/ZUMA PRESS)
Simone Biles Owens made one of the most stunning comebacks ever witnessed in gymnastics. No, this one is not about technical twists and turns, getting the landing right, or defining perfection. The performance last Saturday at the US Classic, near Chicago, was touching. Literally.
It seems like yesterday this gifted gymnast was battling the demons at the Tokyo Olympics and unable to compete. After the highs in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Simone was a pale shadow of herself five years hence, at the Tokyo Olympics. For anyone and everyone who has followed the exploits of the superstar Black gymnast, winner of seven Olympic medals, she has dealt with mental health trauma of the worst sorts.
When she captured the imagination of billions of viewers around the globe in Rio, she had won four gold and one bronze on a crazy night. It was unbelievable, almost like a rip-off, to use an American slang! People struggle to win one Olympic medal and here this 20-year-old was simply turning the artistic gymnastics arena into her own place. What was witnessed in Rio was sheer magic, audacious and aristocratic. She made the rest of the field look so limp, so anemic.
The common man would have never known this American would soon be dealing with problems relating to mental health. She was stressed out in Tokyo, almost afraid of the same audience which had given her incredible highs in Rio. The best part was, the US gymnastics team was with Simone. They understood her problems, which were complex. It was almost like solving a mental matrix since health issues are so sensitive.
So many skeletons popped out of the cupboard, most relating to the trauma she had faced at the hands of her coach, Larry Nassar. Simone slammed the US Gymnastics, almost five years ago. What she had undergone was more than pain. Physical pain can be numbed, not mental one. Physical pain will respond to pills and injections under prescription. Mental pain or trauma cannot be treated with quick-fix prescriptions or a doctor with a magic wand. It takes weeks, months, and years to process it.
That’s what Simone has done, over approximately 732 days before dazzling in Chicago. To be sure, her return to the ring was high profile. None could have forced her to make a comeback, none dared to tell her when to return. Yet, her return, which signals a possible build-up for the Paris Olympics less than a year away, is an indicator she may be readying herself again.
Simone is back in full poetry after the long hiatus
The story is not about what she did in these two years. That’s a private chapter for sure that does not need to be put in the social media domain. Obviously, Simone has found happiness, the queen has found love, and her expressions in the ring on Saturday are a reflection of it. When Simone fell in love with Jonathan Owens three years ago, it was sheer chemistry.
Maybe, Jonathan had himself seen trauma early on as an athlete playing football (NFL) in the US. He had dealt with knee trauma and would have known how to come out of it. It’s no rocket science. In her dark days, which peaked in Tokyo, Jonathan was the solid force with Simone. Maybe she found in him the true soulmate who could repair her wrecked life. After all, mental health issues hit commoners and superstars, almost unannounced. When Simone and Jonathan got married this year, from the gymnastics ring to the wedding ring on the finger, the change was more than symbolic.
Everyone is celebrating Simone’s return, more so because she has seen the highs and lows. Nobody wanted her to fade away due to issues not necessarily pertaining to performance. If she could make a comeback, an emphatic one that she has been doing the right stuff. US newspapers are going gaga, perhaps indicating she will give it another shot in Paris next year.
On Saturday, Simone’s confidence grew with every rotation as she soared to victory. This had been a long wait. From July/August 2021 to August 2023, Simone had overcome stage fright. For, the audience which she loved to see clap and cheer for her had become a sort of nightmare in Tokyo. Time changed beautifully. The 732-day hiatus saw Simone back in full poetry, emotions that captured her brilliance.
From her wedding in April to a snap decision to train again in mid-summer and then uncork champagne stuff on Saturday is a reflection of her fight-back. She has beaten the demons; she has started romancing, this time the sport which has given her love and medals.
“I feel really good about where I am right now, mentally and physically,” said Simone Biles. “I still think there are some things to work on in my routines, but for the first meet back, I would say it went pretty well. I’m very shocked. Surprised.”
In case you missed:
- “You quit! Stay home! ” – 4x Olympian Simone Biles return on stage after 2-year break gets BRUTALLY criticized by fans
- A love story for ages – Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens finally tie the knot in romantic wedding ceremony
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)