“I landed on my face in my floor routine” – Simone Biles on her ‘really bad’ performance in 2013

US gymnast Simone Biles is widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. With a whopping seven Olympic medals - four gold, one silver, and two bronze - she is certainly a top-tier gymnast known for her stunning routines.

However, every great athlete has sometimes stumbled in their journey. Simone Biles is no exception. In a 2016 interview with the BUILD series to discuss her book 'Courage to Soar', with Jordan Schultz, she recalled a "really bad" performance in 2013.

Biles said that she missed the mark by a whisker in 2011, was too young to compete in 2012, and in 2013, had a really bad meet.

"Then in 2013, I had a really bad meet. You could look it up. 2013 classics. It was a real bad."

When asked what exactly happened, Biles laughed saying, "I died."

"I fell almost on every event. I didn't even compete vault because my warmup was so dangerous. My coach was like absolutely not and then I like landed on my face in my floor routine. it was really bad."

The host drew her attention to an incident that happened where somebody called her overweight. Simone Biles described what exactly happened.

"So after that competition someone was like 'You're just too overweight'. That's why that happened like you're fat and so I like went behind the curtain and I was like crying. Because like, I'm a very petite girl and I didn't find myself as fat."

Simone Biles further explained that the comment was very hurtful to hear since she feels she is always in shape.

"Like I feel, like I'm very much in shape all the time. So, it was hurtful to hear that even though I knew it wasn't true and that wasn't the reason why I just had completely an off day so yeah."

"I was like, because I'm not crazy" - Simone Biles on initially going to see a psychologist

Simone Biles (Image via Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Simone Biles, like every other athlete, has had rough days throughout her career. After the 2013 incident, she went to see a psychologist, which is not an easy move for anyone, let alone someone as young as her.

She said that she needed some time before she started opening up.

"I was a little bit nervous, so whenever I go, I have one hour sessions and the first time I ever met him, I sat in his chair and I had like my arms crossed. And he kept asking me questions and I would pretend like he wasn't even there."

Simone Biles added that she wouldn't respond to him at all because she felt she didn't need to go to a psychologist because she wasn't "crazy."

"Like I wouldn't respond, I wouldn't look at him. He's like 'Can I ask you a question?', 'Why aren't you answering me?' And I was like, 'Because I'm not crazy'. I was like 'I don't need to be here' and he's like 'Are you serious right now?' I was like, 'I am not crazy', like 'I want to leave.'"

Her psychologist explained to her that she was not in fact "crazy" just because she was going to a psychologist. After that conversation, Biles felt good about therapy and started opening up.

"He was like 'Just because it has a word 'psychologist' and it doesn't mean you're crazy'. And I was like 'Really?' I was like because I think people think I'm crazy and so once we got over that then I started opening up and I felt really good about it."

Simone Biles is certainly an inspiration to many young girls and gymnasts all around the world and her return to the arena is greatly awaited.