On August 3, 2021, Simone Biles took bronze in the balance beam discipline at the Tokyo Olympics. A week earlier, Biles had suddenly withdrawn from the Team All-Around after suffering from a condition that gymnasts refer to as "the Twisties". After still earning her medal in the beam event, Biles announced she would be taking a hiatus from competitive gymnastics. "I say put mental health first. Because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it's OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are — rather than just battle through it," Biles said of her decision.
A little over two years later and the face of US gymnastics is back. On August 4, 2023, she took part in the Core Hydration Classic just outside of Chicago. Everyone knew it was going to be a special event as Biles hit her signature Biles I floor move during the day's training ahead of the actual meet on August 5. After solid rotations on the uneven bars and beam, she absolutely slayed on the vault. She hit three separate attempts at the Yurchenko double pike - a move only Biles has ever managed to land in competition.
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"That was the first time she is doing it since podium training at the Olympic Games, on the hard landing," coach Laurent Landi said of the skill after training. "Today's been good. We wouldn't be here if we had seen any hesitation," Cecile Landi said when asked if Biles was still having issues with specific skills or hesitating on any twisting elements. "It's her will to be here and as long as she tells us she's good to go, we will continue. I had dinner with her and she told me she really wanted to give herself a chance to do it," Landi said. "After her wedding, after everything was over, we saw a shift in her training and commitment to being back. She really wants it for herself. She's a married woman. She's mature. We are here to support her."
Biles chose not to speak with the media on August 4 but waved at fans and appeared in good spirits as she joked with teammates. The meet also serves as the final qualifier for the US Gymnastics Championships that are due to be held later this month in San Jose. It is believed that Biles' ultimate is to rejoin the US Olympic Team in time for the 2024 Olympics that are set to take place less than a year from today in Paris, France.
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