"I was horrified" - When Simone Biles opened up about fear of facing Marta Karolyi after her sudden fall in balance beam event

Simone Biles once opened up on her fear of facing her coach Marta Karolyi after an unexpected fall from the balance beam. The incident occured while Biles was competing at the 2013 American Cup where she made her senior international debut.

The legendary gymnast attempted a layout series but came crashing down sideways of the beam. In her autobiography, Biles recollected the fall and emotions she felt afterwards, describing how worried she was about coach Marta Karolyi's reaction.

"Oh, I was horrified. On the YouTube video of my beam routine, you can actually see my face crumple as I fight back tears. I remember standing there thinking, 'You just fell off the beam on national TV, your first assignment, you’re doomed, Simone,'" she wrote.

"The next thought: What is Martha going to say to you after the meet? Oh my gosh, you’re going to be in so much trouble. At first, that’s all I could think about—how mad Martha was going to be, how disappointed. Fortunately, the thought that came on the heels of that one saved me: Oh, snap! You’ve got a routine to finish! Get back up on that beam," she added.

"Incredibly honored" - Simone Biles expresses her joy after being nominated in the list of 2025 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

Simone Biles at Chicago Bears' NFL fixture vs Minnesota Vikings (Image Source: Getty)

Simone Biles reacted to her nomination for the 2025 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, which came majorly due to her impressive performances at the Paris Olympics.

At the French capital, the American gymnast collected her second all-around Olympic gold medal after defeating fellow teammate and defending champion Suni Lee and Brazilian star Rebecca Andrade. Biles also won the vault event while clinching silver in floor exercise. She also helped the US team win the gold in the team event.

Biles was nominated alongside other elite athletes that included Sifan Hassan, Faith Kipyegon, tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and last year's winner Aitana Bonmati. Speaking on her nomination, the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram:

"I’m so incredibly honored to be included in this list of amazing nominees!! ❤️✨ #Laureus25 @laureussport"

Biles previously earned the award three times in 2017, 2019, and 2020 and was also honored with the Comeback of the Year award last year.