Simone Biles’ reaction to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being postponed likely mirrored that of countless athletes in the U.S. and around the world.
Last week, the International Olympic Committee officially announced that the 2020 Games would be postponed for the first time in history as the result of the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. And then Monday — in a decision that has offered athletes some comfort while possibly being premature — the IOC said the Olympics will officially begin on July 23, 2021, and the Paralympic Games will start August 24.
Biles, like other athletes, can appreciate that postponing the Games was the right thing to do while simultaneously being devastated that the greatest competition they train for won’t happen as scheduled. The GOAT gymnast explained her reaction to the postponement while on the TODAY show on Wednesday.
How did @Simone_Biles receive news that the 2020 Olympics were postponed?
"I was in the gym training…I didn't really know what to feel. I just kind of sat there and I cried. But ultimately it was the right decision," she says. pic.twitter.com/UtOPD2SNjK
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 1, 2020
She said she was in the gym training when she found out:
“I went to the locker in between rotations, and I got a text. And I didn’t really know what to feel. I just kind of sat there, and I cried. But ultimately, it was the right decision. We need to make sure that everyone in the U.S. and around the world is healthy and safe. It was hard, but it’s OK.”
Biles — who was named For The Win’s most dominant athlete of the 2010s, which included winning five gold medals last year at world championships — compared this training hiatus to the year-and-a-half break she took after the 2016 Rio Olympics. She said because her coaches were able to help her get back in shape after that break, she’s confident she’ll be able to do the same this time.
The 23-year-old gymnast continued:
“Physically, I have no doubt that my coaches will get me back in shape. But mentally, going another year, I think that’s what’s going to take a toll on me and all of us and most of the athletes. So we have to stay in shape mentally just as much as physically, and that will play a big factor moving forward — listening to your body and your mind.”
"Physically I have no doubt that my coaches will get me back in shape. But mentally going another year, I think that's what's going to take a toll on me and all of us," says @Simone_Biles on how the 2020 Olympic game postponement will affect her. pic.twitter.com/6GoqXJVAYI
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 1, 2020
Biles also touched on how she’s trying to stay in shape during the coronavirus outbreak, which includes going on a lot more walks with her dog.
"At-home workouts and I'm also walking my dog a lot more. Just trying to stay healthy and in shape before we can return to the gym," says @Simone_Biles on how she's staying in shape during social distancing. pic.twitter.com/bIdE8MiIqI
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 1, 2020
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