Simone Biles, 26, has a lot of merit and a problem: all the spotlight is on her.
She has been missing from the sporting field for two years, after leaving the Tokyo Olympics through the back door in the summer of 2021 (postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic). But the most decorated gymnast in the United States, with seven Olympic medals (four gold) and 25 at the World Championships (19 gold), competed again in Chicago on Saturday, 732 days later. Great expectation for a minority practice.
Thus it is understood that the cameras made a special marking. This made it possible to closely observe his magnificent performance and also his big yawn, perhaps from sleep, you know, the nerves of the return, or simply because of a point of boredom. She won easily, with more than 5,000 points over Leanne Wong.
So did Biles really stop competing at some point?
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the news of his retirement is more than premature. Without a doubt, if nothing has become clear this evening, it is that Paris 2024 is in his personal browser and that, if nothing goes wrong, he will be one of the great candidates. Her superiority remains overwhelming, among veterans who have been with her for years and among the new generation.
"My heart melts seeing that people still believe in me", she said excitedly at the end of her show. "I am very happy with the result, with the fervor of the public after what I have been through, with what happened in Tokyo", he stressed.
"Welcome", read some of the posters displayed by her admirers in an overflowing pavilion, all sold out, no doubt to see her and also to see Sunisa Lee, the athlete who came to the rescue in Tokyo and that also reappeared.
Biles' journey from the Japanese capital to the city of Illinois has been much longer than the 10,000 kilometers that separate the two metropolises.
He went to the Asian country to expand his legend. She was the big favorite in everything. He came home with a bronze, in colt jump, and thank you. A mental block prevented him from contesting his options at the highest level. His losing streak led to fears that this was the end of his career.
In April, she married the American football player Jonathan Owens ("Let's go, Mrs. Owens", some banners said) and her life has taken a turn.
The starting point for this return took place on the uneven bars. Her performance, which already put her in the lead, earned praise from commentators. It was just the beginning. On the balance beam he did another demonstration of art. He extended his lead.
And then came the floor exercise, a practice that sparked delirium among the competition for its pirouettes, its technique and its difficulty. It's hard to understand how you can fly like that and land like nothing happened. When that test ended he did not hide his satisfaction. "Welcome, Simon Biles! It's awesome to see you competing again," proclaimed the host of the broadcast.
The icing on the cake, the colt jump, one of his specialties, was missing, and he did not disappoint. According to the calculations, it flew about 4.5 meters and fell on the mattress without shaking. "You were and continue to be the best, Simone Biles has not gone anywhere", proclaimed the commentator while the audience enjoyed the most.
Biles couldn't contain her joy. Once he got his feet on the ground, he began to dance, as if releasing all the tension of the previous months. "It's a celebration I always do at the gym every time I land, I know it amuses my teammates," he explained as if he had to justify himself.
In the stands, Ronald and Nellie, her adoptive parents, shared a kiss after seeing that their daughter had overcome the trauma. They are his biggest fans. "I continue with my weekly therapy, but I'm very excited about my comeback, with the support of my fans and I'm sorry to have missed all that for a while," he stressed.
He made a promise: "I will continue working". Nothing is free. If he's gone, Biles is back.
