Why Simone Biles Decided to Return for Paris Olympics After Dropping Out of Tokyo Competition

Simone Biles is coming back "stronger" as she is set to make her return to the Olympics for the 2024 Paris Games.

On Wednesday, the 27-year-old decorated athlete spoke to Hoda Kotb on Today about her decision to return to the Olympic games, after her tragic ending in Tokyo. During the 2020 games, she walked away from the competition after experiencing a mental block known as the "twisties" mid-competition.

"It took a while, because I was watching gymnastics on TV, every time somebody twisted I was like 'Oh my God,'" she told Kotb about the moments leading up to her decision to return. "And then I woke up one day and was like, 'Let's try this again.'"

Biles said that she was willing and ready to jump right back in, but her coaches and teammates were worried.

"They were like, 'Get back in the gym. Get your skills back.' So that we are all collectively deciding that we're really gonna go for it."

Biles, who is the most decorated gymnast of all time, credits the last three years of therapy and limiting social media for helping her come into the games with a better headspace. The athlete also knows that she doesn't have anything to prove to anyone but herself.

"I would say the only thing I have to prove is to myself," she said. "That I can get out there and do it again. I think we're gonna get the job done. I feel really confident."

Joining Biles in Paris and rounding out the team isSuni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and 16-year-old Junior World silver medalist Hezly Rivera.

Biles will have her family and her biggest fan, husband Jonathan Owens, in the stands cheering her on in Paris. In an interview with Elle , the gymnast opened up about her NFL star husband's support.

"We love the time we get to share together, but we're always rooting for each other, on and off the field," she told the magazine.

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