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Shawn Johnson, in a conversation with Maddy Kirchofer, opened up about Simone Biles and her decision to prioritize mental health over an Olympic medal.
Biles is an American Olympic legend in gymnastics, with seven Olympic gold medals. Biles made her Olympic debut in Rio 2016, securing the gold medal in all-around, team, vault, and floor exercises, leaving no room for anyone to cast doubts on her potential. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles withdrew from her final events in the all-around and individual apparatus, citing mental health concerns and twisties, thereby prioritizing her mental well-being over medals. The American gymnastics legend returned to the 2024 Paris Olympics and won three gold medals.
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Shawn Johnson opened up about Simone Biles's decision to prioritize mental health over the medals that were up for grabs in Tokyo. In a podcast with Maddy Kirchofer on Barrier Breakers for the YouTube channel Whistle, Johnson shared her perspective as a parent reflecting on Biles' decision.
As a mother, I think one of the greatest things that happened to adolescent sports and to professional athletes and just any athlete out there was witnessing on a global stage Simone say, "My health is more important than the performance and when she bowed out," Johnson mentioned [20:12 onwards]
Johnson also analyzed the move made by Biles from a parent's perspective.
" But as a parent, I got to see an athlete say, "My health is more important and my safety is more important than this medal. I'm going to protect myself. And being able to show that to my kids now and say look at Simone Biles. She actually said this isn't safe for her right now and this is more important to keep her like her body safe than it is to like just push through it," Johnson added.
Shawn Johnson said that Biles' decision to withdraw from the final events at the Olympics broke the status quo. Johnson believes an athlete prioritizing herself over a medal doesn't invalidate all the work they have put in and does not strip them of their legendary status.
Simone Biles won her fourth Laureus Sports Award for her 'redemption tour'
The American gymnastics legend Simone Biles has added another achievement to her prestigious gymnastics career. The athlete won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award, making it her fourth Laureus sports award. In an Instagram post, @laureussport congratulated the athlete on her win. Notably, she had marked the Paris Olympics as her "redemption tour."
"Winning style ✨ Simone Biles - Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year 🏆"
Simone Biles teamed up with Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Hezley Rivera, and Jade Carey to represent Team USA in gymnastics at the Paris Olympics 2024. The team won the gold in Paris, seeking redemption for their missed gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
