Ethermac Exchange-Simone Biles Shares Hope to Return for 2024 Olympics After Experiencing "Twisties" in Tokyo

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Simone Biles recently revealed that she has her sights on the 2024 Paris Olympics. The gymnast, who experienced a series of "twisties," a kind of mid-air disorientation that caused her to withdraw from several events at the 2020 Tokyo games, also opened up about her mindset as she returns to competing. 

"I think we have to be a little bit more cautious about how we do things," Simone told Hoda Kotb during a Sept. 7 appearance on Today. "So everything that we're doing leading up to this next games or whatever is very intentional. So we've kind of been playing it on the down-low this time, making sure mentally and physically are both intact. So I think it'll be different, but it'll be good."

The 26-year-old also elaborated on how she worked through the twisties following Tokyo, where she ultimately picked up a bronze medal in the balance beam final.

"A lot of trust in my coach, my teammates, myself, most importantly," she explained. "Coming in that gym and making sure I'm doing those numbers, the repetitions, feeling confident in them."

And while Simone said she still has difficult moments, time in the gym has been the key for the 7-time Olympic medalist. 

"As long as I showed up for another day and kept putting that work in, then it kind of went down and dwindled," she continued. "So right now I'm feeling really good. I think I still sometimes doubt myself, but I'm still doing my therapy and making sure everything's aligned."

And indeed, it looks like that work is already paying off.

Earlier this summer, Simone made her official return to competitions at the 2023 U.S. Classic in Chicago. As for how she fared during her big return? Well, proving she's still at the top of her game, And as though the time since Tokyo had been three weeks rather than three years, the most decorated gymnast in the world finished first in the all-around, vault, floor routine and balance beam, and finished third on the uneven bars at the Aug. 4 competition. 

"Everyone that was cheering, made posters and all of that in the crowd, it just made my heart melt that they still believe in me," she said to NBC Sports after the event. "I'm very shocked."

Just one month later, she made history with her record 8^th U.S. championship title in San Jose, CA.

After her success at the Chicago competition, she spoke to her hopes for the national competition in California, "My main goal was this, and then [U.S.] championships, and then after we'll look onto worlds, and then we'll see, but so far it's heading in the right direction."