“I could hardly dream of a more beautiful place than Paris to end my trip,” says Simone Biles

At 27 years old and after 3 new Olympic coronations this summer in Paris, Simone Biles was crowned World Champion of Champions for the fifth time by the newspaper l'Team. The gymnast spoke to our colleagues about the year that has just passed, in particular about the historic dimension of her new Olympic title and whether her records will one day be broken or not: “In case I don't come back, I could hardly dream of a more beautiful place than Paris to end my trip. I have often said that this historical dimension does not interest me” she said.

“The journalists report it, but I preferred to concentrate on what I was doing, on what would be next, the next competition… Now, I think it is important to stop, to remember the gymnasts who posed these stones to mark my own path. I can allow myself to look back, to appreciate what I have achieved, my victories, the records I have been able to break. It's just crazy to read them on paper! But I hope there will be another gymnast who can go beyond these acrobatics and pave the way for future generations. It's exciting to think that I'm part of history, and even more exciting to hope that one day a little girl will dream hard enough to go even further. »

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The American athlete also spoke about the difficult times she went through before winning this new title: “Honestly, what makes me proud are the difficult times. Most people who watched my early career didn't really understand the point, it seemed so easy. But Tokyo happened. A big stone in my heart that revealed the human behind the gymnast” she said, referring to the fact that she did not win a title in Tokyo while injured.

The young woman finally spoke about the fear she experienced when starting the Games: “Coming back to the Games was exciting, stressful and dizzying all at the same time. I was really grateful to be back on the international scene, to have another opportunity to represent my country because after Tokyo, I wasn't sure if I could continue gymnastics. Being there, in the beautiful city of Paris, was like icing on the cake. But I was scared. Luckily, I had a great team around me. My family was there, my parents who have always traveled since I started gym at six years old, with the exception of Tokyo due to Covid, my husband (American footballer Jonathan Owens) who was able to attend my first two finals (team and individual), Cécile and Laurent (Landi, her coaches)… And I continued to talk to my therapist almost every day, it's a routine that I need to free myself mentally. » she said, aware of how lucky she was.

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