There wasn’t any doubt that Simone Biles, the international gymnastics phenom, would be wearing our nation’s colors in Tokyo when the Summer Olympics at last returned. Five years and one pandemic-related postponement ago, Biles won four gold medals and a bronze in Rio de Janeiro and became the face of not just gymnastics but, to many in America, of the Olympic Games themselves.
The four-foot-eight 24-year-old now stands a very good chance of becoming the first female gymnast to hold back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the all-around category since 1968.
But when she stumbled Sunday night in the final round of the Olympic trials in St. Louis, Biles reminded us all that consistent performance at such extraordinary levels can never be taken for granted. She also demonstrated that the heart of a champion shines through in victory and in adversity. She fell off the beam, stepped out of bounds at one point and had a less than flawless run at the uneven bars. There she was in tears on national television.
But when the points were tallied for the two-day trials, her overall performance nevertheless put her in first place. In other words, right where we expected her to be all along: In the captain’s spot headed back to the Olympics where she hopes to make history once more.
Biles was born in Ohio but moved as a child to the north Houston suburb of Spring, where her grandfather lived. He and his wife would eventually adopt her and her younger sister. In 2014 her parents built World Champions Centre, where she has trained ever since. When the games begin next month, she won’t be the only gymnast from the area competing.
Gymnast Jordan Chiles moved to Spring from Vancouver, Wash., in 2019 to train with Biles and launch her own Olympic quest. She earned her place on the team Sunday night, too. She acknowledged afterward that her path to Tokyo was made possible by the year’s delay imposed by the pandemic, a respite that gave her time to keep improving to win her spot on the team….
Behind every name are thousands of hours of incredible dedication, and dozens of other names — of athletes who spent the same number of hours working toward the same goal but didn’t quite make the team.
Behind the search for glory is a world of young people doing their best against incredible pressure. After a year of so many trials for everyone, watching the games will be a welcome reason to cheer. On Sunday, after it was clear that Chiles had qualified for the team, Biles walked over to her friend and gave her a big hug on national television. “I am so proud of you,” she told her.
Same here. As Americans, and as Texans, we should all take pride in the athletes who have dedicated their lives to competing at humanity’s highest level. To everyone headed to Tokyo, we wish you the best.
— The Houston Chronicle
