Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Simone Biles has confessed that she was “shaking” with anxiety in the Olympic Village as she opened up about her nerves ahead of the women’s gymnastics vault final.
The 27-year-old gymnast shared a TikTok video on August 2 where she documented herself getting ready in her room for the Olympics all-around final. Her video came one day after she received another goal medal in the individual all-around gymnastics final. Days earlier, the US women’s gymnastics team also scored gold during the all-around finals.
Biles returned to Bercy Arena on Saturday August 3, for the women’s vault final, where she won her third gold medal during the 2024 Paris Olympics. During the comeptition, she had a final score of 14.966, while her teammate, Jade Carey, won bronze with a final score of 14.466.
In her TikTok video, Biles acknowledged that while she was “really nervous,” that was “to be expected” for her. “I did have therapy this morning, so I feel a little bit better,” she explained. “I’ve just worked so hard, mentally, to get to this moment.”
As she went on to apply her makeup, she then shared the performance that she was the most anxious about.
“Tonight I start on vault. I think that’s the event I am the most nervous for,” she said. “Because I don’t want to overpower it.”
Biles addressed the stiff competition at the Olympics this year and called Brazilian gymnast Rebecca Andrade her “top competitor”. She then confessed that even when she wasn’t competing, she’s felt a lot of anxiety.
“I have not done much around the Olympic Village, and it’s because the first day we got here, and I got to the cafeteria and a lot of people were asking me for photos, like nonstop, and whenever I sat down to eat my anxiety was so bad I was shaking,” Biles explained. “And I couldn’t stop shaking.”
She continued to point out that she was “so overwhelmed” during this experience that she hadn’t spent much time in the cafeteria since.
“I went to the cafeteria to meet my friend yesterday, but before that, I haven’t gone back to the cafeteria in five days,” she added. “I just go to the store, stock up the food and just like, stay here, because it gets me so anxious.”
On Friday, she took to Instagram to share a picture of herself meditating in the Bercy Arena in Paris. The post came after she won the individual all-around competition. In the caption, she wrote: “Mental health matters.”
Biles has previously spoken about her mental health, revealing how therapy played a major role in her preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Speaking to reporters after Team USA’s all-around event, Biles detailed the positive impact that going to therapy right before the competition had on her gold medal-winning performance.
“At the beginning of the day, I started off with therapy this morning so that was super exciting. And then I told her I was feeling calm and ready,” she said. “And that’s kind of exactly what happened.”
She addressed her fears during the vault competition, as she continued: “After I finished vault, I was relieved. I was like: ‘Wooo, because please, no flashbacks or anything.’ But I did feel a lot of relief. And as soon as I landed vault, I was like: ‘Oh, yeah, I’m definitely [okay], we’re gonna do this.’”
Before arriving in France for the summer Olympics, she also spoke with Today co-anchor Hoda Kotb about incorporating therapy into her daily routine.
“You don’t bury things anymore. You speak them out loud. You talk about therapy, where you are, where you’re going. Tell me about this part of you?” Kotb asked on her podcast, which aired on July 31.
“I’ve always tried to stay authentic to myself, so I feel like the new me, I’m a little bit older, more mature, so just being unapologetically me,” Biles replied.
In 2021, Biles pulled out of the women’s all-around gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health, after suffering from a condition known as the “twisties”. The issue has been talked about by gymnasts, usually in high-pressure situations, who say it involves losing control midair and feeling unable to land the move, creating a high-risk and dangerous situation.
