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“Broke My Leg”: Simone Biles Nearly Faked Injury Due To Saddening Reason Before Tokyo Olympics

Published 04/21/2024, 4:00 PM EDT

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As the countdown to Paris draws closer, the limelight on Simone Biles’ previous outing is shining brighter. It is no secret that Biles pulled out of five events from the Tokyo Olympics. Amidst the scathing criticisms, Biles explained how difficult it was for her to fathom the situation. According to the US gymnast, one cannot particularly make out whether one has twisties or not. It is right at the moment when an athlete is in the air, the confusion regarding the positioning of land and air sets in. 

Biles then went on to say that she went through such a phase in literally all the events. Surely, such a mental obstacle can definitely lead to severe injuries. And Biles almost faked breaking her ankle while trying to push through her pains. 

Simone Biles reminisces about faking near fatal Tokyo experience

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Biles recently appeared on the ‘CallHerDaddy’ podcast where she was asked about her experience with twisties. Narrating a near-fatal incident, Biles recalled when she decided to ignore her mental issues. Speaking about the same, Biles stated that just before the start of an event, she realized having a problem. However, for the sake of her team, Biles went ahead and attempted a two-and-a-half. This was a dangerous attempt because Biles did not warm up four days prior to the event. 

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While trying to push through her issues, Biles did take the leap of faith and it backfired. Once in the air, Biles lost all her reasoning of space and matter. This was something that she failed to make her coaches fathom. Thus, in order to safeguard her career, Biles faked an injury scare. She said,And at that point at I came out about it, they’re like, she doesn’t wanna lose. And I was like, first of all, I almost broke my leg, but it’s thankfully I didn’t break my leg.” Thankfully, Biles came out safe, but she was frustrated with the fact that her coaches could not understand her situation. 

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Immediately after her event, Biles had a conversation with her manager and decided to pull out of the event. However, with great grit and determination, Biles fought her way back to the pinnacle of the gymnastics mountain. 

Biles’ recovery and Paris dreams unfurled

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Post her Olympic fiasco, Biles resorted to Junetendo University in Japan for help. An elaborate personalized training regime helped her significantly. Under the watchful eyes of coach Wataru Kawai, Biles slowly recovered and got her mental health back to normal. A major part of her rehabilitation included keeping away from the media and critics. 

As of 2024, Simone Biles is all set to kick things off next month. Starting with the US Classics, Biles will be looking to put on a blemish-free performance on her road to Paris. And while she does so, her fans would be praying for Biles to add some more Olympic golds to her already bejeweled crown. 

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Written by:

Disita Sikdar

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One take at a time

Disita is a writer at EssentiallySports, capturing viral moments in the sporting world. Her coverage includes prominent figures like Mathieu Van der Poel and Jonas Vingegaard in cycling. She also aces at live coverages of MotoGP events.
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Edited by:

Himanshu Sridhar