Simone Biles shared a surprising detail about the toll her body took during the Paris Olympics.
In an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe published on April 21, Biles revealed that she fell ill after the Paris Olympics due to the demand on her body.
“2028 seems so far away, and my body ages,” said Biles when discussing her plans for the Los Angeles Games.
Biles said she “felt it” last summer in Paris. “At the end of the competition, I went back to the village, I took the elevator and my body literally collapsed. I got sick for 10 days,” she shared.
The gold medalist said that because she’s already “accomplished so much” in gymnastics, she would “really need to be thrilled by it” to come back and compete in the 2028 Games.
“So, to be honest, I don’t know. We’ll see,” said Biles.
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The Olympian confirmed she’ll be in attendance when the Olympics come to Los Angeles, but she’s still unsure if she’ll be competing for another medal or cheering on the next generation of gymnasts.
“I will be there, whether on the apparatus or in the stands, I still haven’t decided,” she said.
Biles also told the French newspaper she went “home to Chicago,” where her husband Jonathan Owens was playing for the Chicago Bears, after the Paris Games and “hid for a week.”
The most decorated gymnast in Olympic history, Biles said she still deals with anxiety around her fame. “It’s still difficult to understand…Before, I was completely anonymous in a crowd, and that was a real blessing,” she explained.
“Now, wherever I am, people recognize me, stop me, ask for my autograph, a photo…it’s weird to be known by everyone when you, yourself, don’t seek it out.”
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