"Once you get to a high level, there are still 100 others"- When Simone Biles opened up on navigating challenges in elite gymnastics

American gymnast Simone Biles once opened up about the existing challenges in the circuit of elite gymnastics. Biles rose to prominence in this circuit back in 2013 when she won two golds in the all-around and floor exercises apparatuses at the World Championships after competing in several national-level tournaments such as the American Cup and the US Classic.

She won a total of eight gold medals in the World events in the coming two years and followed it up by bagging five medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. This established Biles as one of the most pivotal gymnasts in the United States. However, the roadway to this journey hasn't been the smoothest as she spoke about the hurdles she overcame in her elite career.

In an interview, Simone Biles stated that when a gymnast reaches the elite circuit in the United States, several other athletes compete for the same spot on the national team. The Ohio native also compared this system to a lottery system where many challenges and unpredictability are involved. She said (via The Guardian):

"But once you get to a high level, there are still 100 other elite athletes. I wouldn’t say that I’m lucky but, if you look at it, there are hundreds of thousands of gymnasts in the US, and only four will make a team. So it’s almost like playing the lottery. You just never know.”

Despite her competitive mindset, Biles recognizes the need for a distinction between the private and public parts of her life. She opened up about the same, elaborating how despite being so integral, the sport is only part of her identity.

When Simone Biles opened up about her changing outlook towards gymnastics

Biles in her beam balance routine during the first day of the US Olympics Gymnastics team trials (Image via: Getty Images)

Simone Biles opened up about the need for her to have a life outside gymnastics as well. In an interview, Biles claimed that the sport was everything to her and this is the thing that she emphasized but her perspective towards the sport has changed with the passing years.

She also mentioned that she realized how important it was to carve out a life for herself outside the sport. She said (via USA Today):

"Gymnastics was everything to me. And it still is, but I just have a different outlook on it. Gymnastics is something that I do, but this is who I am outside of the sport. Rather than making it a whole blob.”

After the 2024 Paris Olympics, Simone Biles has been quite busy with several external endeavors such as the GOAT tour which concluded last month. The gymnast also frequently graces her husband, Jonathan Owens' Chicago Bears matches.