Simone Biles, one of the most decorated gymnasts in history, has had a rollercoaster of a week. What began as a strong opinion shared on X (formerly Twitter) soon spiraled into a public controversy involving swimmer Riley Gaines.
The fallout prompted Biles to delete her X account, walking away from nearly two million followers and stepping back from the digital storm. But even amid backlash and criticism, Biles found comfort and celebration elsewhere-marking Olympic Day on Instagram in deeply personal fashion.
After publicly condemning Gaines’ stance on transgender athletes, Biles issued a heartfelt apology acknowledging her tone, though not retracting her core beliefs. She emphasized her support for both inclusivity and fairness in sports. Still, her apology didn’t stop Gaines from taking another jab once Biles deleted her account.
Gaines claimed Biles was trying to “pretend it never happened,” describing the apology as “groveling” and her exit from X as a retreat.
But rather than engage further, Biles shifted her energy elsewhere-toward gratitude and legacy. On June 23, in honor of Olympic Day, the three-time Olympian shared a series of Instagram Stories that highlighted her journey through the Games in Rio, Tokyo, and Paris.
She reminisced over joyful behind-the-scenes moments, her medal-winning performances, and the sheer emotion of representing Team USA across three Olympic cycles.
Celebrating resilience and legacy
Among the memories she shared, one post stood out as deeply emotional. Biles posted a photo from the Paris 2024 qualifications round-sitting on the floor while getting her ankle taped after the uneven bars.
In the caption, she wrote, “she is beauty, she is grace, dr maria saved my lifeeeee…” followed by a lighthearted jab at herself: “i know i got my honorary doctorate or whatevaaaaaa, but if you ever need a real DR, call her, not me hahahahaa.”
Despite dealing with a sore calf, Biles still delivered top scores in floor and vault events and led the all-around standings. The snapshot reflected more than just physical perseverance-it showcased her trust in the team that helped her keep going when things got tough.
Her final post was a night view of the Eiffel Tower lit with Olympic rings, captioned, “okay I’m done, so blessed to go to 3 olympic games with team usa.”
Through it all, Biles turned her focus away from controversy and back to what has always driven her: the sport, the memories, and the people who’ve supported her along the way.
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