American superstar gymnast Simone Biles won the bronze during the balance beam final on Tuesday, a week after she took herself out of several competitions to focus on her mental health. It was her 7th career Olympics medal, which ties her with Shannon Miller for the most by an American in gymnastics.
She has also earned 25 medals at world championships, making her the most decorated American gymnast ever.
“I wasn’t expecting to medal,” Biles told reporters after receiving bronze. “I just came out here and just tried to do a good beam set…so just to have one more opportunity to compete at the Olympics meant the world to me.”
For Biles, her win represents her focus on metal health.
“It means more than all of the golds because I pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I’ve even been here,” Biles said.
Biles, 24, said she was nervous while she competed and “shocked” that she medaled, but “I didn’t really care about the outcome. I was just happy that I made the routine, and that I got to compete one more time.”
“At the end of the day we’re not just athletes or entertainment, we’re human too. We have real emotions and sometimes they don’t realize that we have things going on behind the scenes that affect us whenever we go out and compete,” Biles said.
– – Quotes via NBC News Link – –
