Olympic champion Simone Biles is set to make a comeback to gymnastics after bowing out of multiple events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health.
Biles, who overcame childhood hunger and sexual abuse to become the world’s greatest gymnast, will take part in the annual US Classic on 5 August, in what will be her first competition since the Olympic Games.
She has stayed out of the limelight for almost two years after making headlines in 2020 for withdrawing from multiple events.
The 26-year-old said she was “more than her accomplishments” as she thanked fans for the “outpouring of love and support” she had received.
She opened up about the pressure she felt as one of the stars of Tokyo 2020 – shifting the focus from the games to athletes’ overall wellbeing.
The 2016 Olympic gold medallist claimed a bronze in the women’s balance beam final in the Japanese capital – taking her overall tally of Olympic medals to seven.
She said she was “proud of myself” after her third-place finish, adding: “I’ll treasure this one a lot more after everything I have been through.”
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Biles is among 11 Olympic and World Championships medallists in the line-up for the US Classic, set to take place on 4-5 August at the NOW Arena in the suburbs of Chicago.
Her comeback was announced by USA Gymnastics, the US’s national governing body for the sport.
USA Gymnastics chief programs officer, Stefanie Korepin, said: “It is exciting to think about the level of talent and historical legacy of the field that may compete at US Classic.
“Every athlete is at a different place in their season and career, and we will support each of them, wherever they are in their journey.”
Since her dramatic departure from the Olympics, Biles headlined her post-Olympic tour in autumn 2021 and also got married to former NFL star Jonathan Owens earlier this year.
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The US gymnast shared a couple of pictures of their big day with her 6.8m Instagram followers, captioning one photo showing them hand-in-hand: “I do… officially Owens.”
She has since become a vocal advocate for athletes in need of mental health support.
The US Classic has been likened to a warm-up for the national championships, scheduled in San Jose in late August.
The event will see Biles compete alongside Sunisa Lee – the first Asian-American woman to win Olympic gold in the women’s gymnastics all-around at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Harry Kane and Jordan Pickford are among Premier League stars who have revealed how they manage their wellbeing as part of Sky Sports documentary, Tackling the Stigma, produced in support of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week in May.
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