"Experience was already behind me" - When Simone Biles opened up on bittersweet feeling following Rio Olympics conclusion

Simone Biles once opened up on experiencing mixed emotions following the conclusion of the Rio Olympics. Biles made her debut on the Olympics circuit during the 2016 edition.

At the Games, she enjoyed a successful run after collecting five medals, including four gold medals and one bronze medal (balance beam). Biles dominated the team, all-around, vault, and floor event. She competed in her last event, the floor routine. Following the conclusion, Biles started feeling a mix of emotions as her lifelong dream of competing at the Olympics was coming to an end.

Although she was proud of her impressive performance, Biles felt the blues as the moment she had worked hard for wrapped up. In her autobiography Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance, published in 2016, Biles reflected on the emotions.

"I was feeling a little sad after my floor routine," Biles wrote. "When the announcer called my name and the official placed the medal around my neck, it was bittersweet. At first, I had felt a rush of relief that everything had gone even better than I’d dared hope. I’d nailed every tumbling pass, spinning high in the air. And I’d stuck all my landings, capping off my Olympic experience with yet another gold. But I’d been waiting my entire life for a chance to go to the Olympics, and just like that, the experience was already behind me."

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Simone Biles expresses joy after receiving the nomination for the 2025 Laureus Award

Simone Biles of Team United States at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Getty Images)

Simone Biles recently expressed her joy after receiving the nomination for the 2025 Laureus Award which will be held on Monday, April 21, in Madrid. Biles received the nomination besides fellow American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Faith Kipyegon, tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, and Sifan Hassan. Simone Biles also reflected on her first Laureus Award.

"Receiving my first Laureus Award from Nadia Comăneci, in 2017 is still one of my most cherished memories and this event is incredibly special to me," Biles said.

"I’m excited to be in Madrid with everyone to celebrate so many amazing achievements as well as the wonderful work that Laureus does. The Nominees in every single category are so inspiring to me and I’m extremely proud to stand alongside so many others who competed at the top of their sport in 2024,” she added. (via Olympics.com)

The nomination for the distinguished award can be attributed to her Paris Olympics success.