USA Gymnastics President APOLOGIZES to Simone Biles’ mental health breakdown after ‘gold-medal token’ comment at Tokyo Olympics

USA Gymnastics President Li Li Leung apologized to Simone Biles points out that someone from the inside made a rude comment to her during the 2020 Olympics.

USA Gymnastics President APOLOGIZES to Simone Biles’ mental health breakdown after ‘gold-medal token’ comment at Tokyo Olympics

Simone Biles and Li Li Leung [Image Credit: Sky News/Time]

After a 2-year layoff, 4X Olympian Simone Biles is again ready to rule the gymnastics world. Before discussing further games, the Olympian pointed out what led to her mental health breakdown and twisties during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

Biles’ mental health took a toll when expectations flared up prior to the competition. Before setting foot on the stage Biles was already dealing with too much when someone from the USA Gymnastics side called her their “gold-medal token”. The comment seemed to be the last straw that broke down the Olympian in the midst of the competition.

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According to the latest news, USA Gymnastics President Li Li Leung said she apologized to Biles for what she had to go through. Although it seems, the anonymous commentator is not yet identified by the organization as they stated, “We don’t know who said that”.

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Furthermore, Leung expressed that she was “really disappointed” to hear that someone from the inside made such a comment, “…that was the first that we had heard of it.” Although the USA Gymnastics President is not yet sure if that person still works for them or not, they promised not to have a situation like this going forward.

Related: ‘This is awkward,’ Simone Biles CORRECTS gold medals record count by ESPNW, sets sights on 2024 Paris olympics glory

Simone Biles talks about how ‘gold-medal token’ comment broke her down during 2020 Olympics

Simone Biles [Image Credit: Fashion Network]
Simone Biles [Image Credit: Fashion Network]

With COVID raging at its full power, seclusion from friends, and family, and ongoing Olympic games, Simone Biles seemingly broke down becoming victim to twisties while performing mid-air. The rest of the story is well known to the world as the champion prioritized health and took a long career break, disappointing many in the process.

One of the biggest changes made in her life during her break was Biles getting married to NFL star Jonathan Owens. With support from family, friends, and fans the gymnast once again took the stage at the 2023 US Classic; winning 3 gold and 1 bronze at the event. 

Although everyone is looking forward to Biles’ participation in the 2024 Olympics, the gymnast herself said she’s focused on the upcoming events. The 4x Olympian has recovered from her mental health breakdown, but will still prioritize herself if she falls into such situations again. 

She said that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics situation “was really tough” especially since so many people put high expectations on her shoulders. “…there were all those outside noises and everybody telling me, ‘You’re our gold-medal token’ and all of that stuff. And that’s from our inside team,” was not something Biles expected.

Hopefully, such situations will not arise again, as USA Gymnastics has made changes within the organization to remove any threats. The fans are excited that Simone Biles is back in the spotlight again, as many expect to see her participating in the Paris Olympics. Her dazzling feat at US Classic has left the fans wanting for more astounding performances.

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