Breaking news: Just Now grief as skillful Gymnast Simone Biles has been officially confirmed….
That’s exactly what Biles said on Monday night, replying to a user that tweeted, “My daughter learned that @Simone_Biles retired today and she has cried literally for the last hour.”
In a kind-hearted bid to stop unnecessary tears, Biles quote-tweeted the post, saying, “I haven’t retired though, just working on my mental health.”
It’s not necessarily a surprise that Biles hasn’t closed the door on a comeback. The 25-year-old has been vocal in the past few months about the nuisance that is random drug testing, and unless you’ve formally told the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that you’re retired, the organization will continue to drug test you until then, even if you’re on an extended hiatus from the sport.
Biles hasn’t competed since her triumphant comeback at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, when she earned a bronze medal on beam after a bout of the twisties forced her to withdraw from the other finals in an effort to protect her mental and physical well-being.
Shortly after Tokyo, Biles texted one of her coaches, Cecile Landi, that she was “thinking about 2024.” More recently, Landi told NBC at August’s U.S. championships that Biles has “been around the gym” but it’s not her story to tell.
After the 2016 Olympics, Biles took 15 months off to rest and enjoy life before jumping back into training in November 2017. She returned to competition in 2018 competing at an even higher level than before, as evidenced in the competitive debut of the exceptionally difficult Yurchenko double pike at the 2021 U.S. Classic.
The vault has never been successfully competed by a woman until Biles, who the skill would be named after if she successfully performed it in a competition sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). She came close to doing just that when she hit the skill during podium training at the Olympics, but podium training is just that: training, not a competition.
As far as the public knows, Biles hasn’t trained in 13 months and counting, although it’s fair to say she’s certainly staying in shape during her break, especially during last fall’s Gold Over America Tour. The seven-time Olympic medalist has spent the past year traveling, being a dog mom, getting engaged to football player Jonathan Owens, planning their 2023 wedding, and, of course, focusing on her mental health.