‘I’m a human being and I’ve done some courageous things outside of this sport as well.’
TOKYO, Japan — Simone Biles is leaving the Tokyo Olympics with a bronze medal after returning to compete in the balance beam finals early Tuesday morning.
Her medal-winning performance came a week after she removed herself from multiple events in the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health.
Before returning to the United States, Biles sat down with Hoda Kotb on NBC’s Today for a one-on-one conversation about her time in Tokyo.
“I’m happy I was able to get back out there and do one more routine,” Biles said of competing in the beam finals. “It just felt really amazing.”
Although the Games ended on a high, Biles also detailed her lowest point.
“Probably realizing – or recognizing – that I would only be remembered for my medals in everything until one morning I woke up and I was like, ‘I’m more than my medals and gymnastics,'” Biles told Kotb. “I’m a human being and I’ve done some courageous things outside of this sport as well. I’m not a quitter and it took all of that realizing to see that because I don’t think if this situation didn’t happen I would’ve never seen it that way.”
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So the big question remains… Will we see Biles compete again in the 2024 Paris Olympics?
“I think I have to relish and take this Olympics in and kind of recognize what I’ve done with my career because after 2016 I didn’t get to do that,” Biles said.
Kotb: “So you’re keeping the door open?”
Biles: “Yeah. Keeping the door open.”
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3News previously reported that Biles hinted she may want to be involved in the 2024 Paris Olympics in honor of her French coaches Laurent and Cecile Landi.
Biles also previously talked with Today about the atmosphere in the Olympic Village after making the decision to withdraw from the events last week.
“People were still coming up to me, saying how much I’ve done for them in their world, that was just the craziest feeling ever and in that moment I was like OK, there’s more than gymnastics and medals.'”
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