Simone Biles needs no introduction! The 4-time Olympic gold medallist and 5-time world champion is simply amazing not only as a gymnast and role model, but in every aspect of her life!
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Gymnastics
How many records has this incredible once-in-a-lifetime gymnast broken? Almost too many to count!
Simone has seven Olympic medals, earned in 2016 and 2020ne! At the world championship level, Simone has 19 gold medals, which she earned in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019! (Since 1996, gymnastics does not have a world championship in the year of the Olympics; 2021 is an exception.) In 2017 and 2021, Simone took the year off for recovery purposes!
Winning medals is only part of Simone’s legacy! Simone is also a very innovative gymnast who has four intensely difficult skills named after her! This means that Simone was the first female gymnast to invent and compete the skill! Only a few male gymnasts are capable of performing the vault and floor skills! (Regarding the balance beam skill, men do not compete on this apparatus.)
The most famous, and the most difficult, is a floor exercise skill called the triple-double, which means three twists and two flips in the air! Skills are ranked in the code of points beginning with A for the easiest. For example, in NCAA (college) gymnastics, E is the most difficult. Simone Biles’ triple double is a J!!
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Abuse Survivor
Simone uses her powerful voice as a leader in the survivor community of the hundreds (that we know of) of gymnasts and other athletes who were abused by the USA Gymnastics team doctor, who is now in jail for life.
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Mental Health Advocate
Simone is also one of the leading high-profile athletes promoting mental health wellness along with Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka!
Simone courageously stepped aside at the 2020ne Olympics gymnastics team final because she had the “twisties.“ Despite its inappropriately cutesy name, this is a highly dangerous type of mental block in which one loses spatial awareness while in the air. This means that the gymnast suddenly has no idea where they are in the air in relation to the floor. Landing on one’s head or neck can result in paralysis or death.
For example, Soviet gymnast Elena Mukhina, who was expected to become Olympic champion in 1980, broke her neck training tumbling on floor several weeks before the games. For another example, in 2019, NCAA (college) gymnast Melanie Coleman of Southern Connecticut State University died “following a serious spinal cord injury suffered in a training accident.” Search: NBC Olympics sports.
It was incredibly brave of Simone to truthfully state that the “twisties” were the reason she could not continue competing in the team final. No other gymnast has ever cited a mental block as the true reason they could not compete. One can find anecdotal evidence of gymnasts and other similar athletes affected by the “twisties” (trampoline, diving, etc.) who nonetheless force themselves to compete while praying that they land safely. Many such athletes shared their stories on social media to support Simone after she received unfair backlash.
Simone could have evaded the issue by saying she had a physical pain which would prevent her from continuing to compete, but she courageously chose to tell the truth! In the highest-stakes-possible environment of an Olympic team final, Simone was able to make this intensely difficult decision.
This also demonstrates how much of a team player and leader Simone is because she realized that the team was better off competing without her, as she feared, besides paralysis and death, costing the team a medal. Do United States ended up winning the silver medal!
Because of the “twisties,“ Simone chose not to compete in the finals for the all-around, the vault and the floor exercise, although she was the heavy favourite to win gold in all of these.
Simone took the twisting elements out of her balance beam routine, decreasing its difficulty, but she still won the bronze medal!
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Simone is dearly loved by her beautiful family, her many friends and teammates, and fans worldwide!
In 2022, Simone announced her engagement to Jonathan Owens, who plays football for the Houston Texans!
Simone has not yet announced whether she will continue her career and try for the 2024 Olympics!
We wish Simone all the very best in her life!
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The “Fun Floor Choreo” series is meant to showcase choreography and performance!
See the full playlist here! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0BfsjdSIByW5z4IZcJIJDDjXnnBLU4DQ
This short is derived from this video from YouTube channel “Jason Donneugh:”
“Simone Biles – Floor Exercise – 2016 Olympics All Around”
https://youtu.be/yC3zLvDs2AA
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***NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED*** No copyright infringement is intended of any music or videos used in this video. I do not own any of the music or videos used, and they remain the property of the respective labels, artists and owners.
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