Simone Biles He will compete again two years after his last appearance at the Tokyo Games. The most decorated gymnast in the history of the United States is enrolled in the ‘US Classic’ to be held lhe days August 4 and 5 on the outskirts of Chicagoas reported by the American Gymnastics Federation.
Biles, 26 years old, won five medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, four golds and one bronze, and two at the Tokyo Games, one silver and one bronze. In those Games, withdrew from the team final due to an episode of disconnection between mind and bodywhat is known in gymnastic parlance as ‘twisties’.
Biles had put his career on hold since the Tokyo Games, where he had withdrawn from most events at the last minute, citing mental health and safety.
The ‘US Classic’ brings together the elite of American gymnasts and serves as qualifying event for the United States Gymnastics Championships, scheduled from August 24 to 27 in San José (California). It was in that same competition that Biles returned to the competition in 2018, after a two-year hiatus after the Rio 2016 Games.
His troubles in Tokyo contributed to put the issue of athletes’ mental health at the forefront, breaking a taboo. “Putting the issue of mental health on the table means a lot to me as people need to realize that we are human beings,” Biles had said.