I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.” – The queen of gymnastics has done it all. From enthralling fans with her stellar performances on the mat to being the most decorated female gymnast of all time! Having raised the bar as high as Simone Biles has, many fans weren’t expecting her to step down from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a severe case of the “twisties.” But the 7-time Olympic medalist came back stronger than ever and has now secured a spot on her 3rd Olympics team. She won the all-around title with 117.225 among a rousing cheer from the fans at the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials in Minneapolis.
Amidst the Final Five is Biles’ best friend and teammate Jordan Chiles. The Tokyo silver medalist punched her ticket to the French capital by completing the podium in third place with 111.425. This will be her 2nd Olympics team along with Biles. But many don’t know how the two almost crossed paths a little before 2018. Simone Biles almost ended up going to UCLA back in 2014, but the path she chose completely altered her career path for the better. What incredible opportunity did the Olympian pass on?
Back in 2014,as she had always wanted to try college gymnastics. However, she had now found herself at a difficult impasse. With the 2016 Rio Olympics on the brink, she was incredibly keen on being a full-time gymnast. After careful consideration, the Olympian chose to defer, a decision she now believes taught her valuable lessons in dedication and self-trust. She let go of her collegiate gymnastics dreams and picked something much more monumental.
Simone Biles made her Summer Games debut in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite this being her first time on the world’s biggest stage, she stepped on to the mat with one goal in mind: winning the coveted gold. But the Olympian did much more than that! She clinched 4 golds in the all-around, floor exercises, vault and team events. She also clinched a bronze on the balance beam, taking home 5 Olympics medals. Despite her heartbreaking decision at the Japanese capital in 2020, Biles made a triumphant comeback in 2023. She was even rewarded with the Best Comeback Athlete ESPYS Award for her valiant effort.
But had she chosen UCLA, she would’ve met her best friend Jordan Chiles a lot sooner. The Olympic silver medalist attended UCLA from 2021 to 2023 and competed on the collegiate gymnastics team throughout. At the 2023 NCAA Championships, the Bruins had made it to the semi-finals. Chiles stepped on to the mat hoping to take her them to the finals. Her enthralling performance on the bars helped her secure a perfect 10. While it wasn’t enough to lead them to the finals, the Olympian became the first individual national champion from UCLA since Kyla Ross in 2019.
