Simone Biles recalls being called "worthless" at Karolyi Rach following small error: "I had to dim my personality"

Simone Biles made a shocking revelation in Netflix's latest documentary, claiming that she was called ‘worthless’ at the controversial Karolyi Ranch after she had made a small error in her landing. The American gymnast also spoke about the differences between the pre and post-Karolyi gymnastics era.

Biles started her senior gymnastics career in 2013, and at that time Bella Karolyi was in charge of USA Gymnastics. Karolyi’s training methods were strict, with several gymnasts alleging physical and emotional abuse from the Romanian coaches at Karolyi Ranch, which served as USA Gymnastics’ official training center for several years.

Speaking in the new Netflix docuseries, ‘Simone Biles: Rising’, the seven-time Olympic medalist compared the post and pre-Karolyi era, which ended after the 2016 Rio Olympics, as contrasting. Biles claimed that she had to dim her personality at the Ranch, whereas the current training camps were ‘free-spirited’.

"I feel like camp is more like free-spirited. It's not as strict as before, " she said in Episode Two of the series.

"Growing up in Marta's era, I felt like I had to dim my personality," Biles added.

The 27-year-old also revealed being called worthless after she made a slight error in her vault landing while training at the Karolyi Ranch.

"I remember not sticking a vault, like taking the slightest step forward and being told I was worthless to the team", the most decorated gymnast of all time recalled.

Biles also accused Bella and Marta Karolyi of controlling their careers, stating they weren't in control of getting selected for the international competitions.

"I like to have fun doing gymnastics and after I went to camp that wasn't fun. And then I realized they held our careers in their hands. We couldn't put ourself on a world team, on our Olympic team," she said.

Simone Biles claims she had to steal food at Karolyi Ranch because of hunger

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From Bella and Marta Karolyi’s first successful student, Nadia Comaneci, to Dominique Dawes to Aly Raisman and Simone Biles, everyone has alleged the Romanian coaches of starving them for food. They had to follow a very strict diet and were checked frequently in their bags.

In an interview with CBS in 2021, Biles claimed that she and other gymnasts used to steal the food from cafeteria at night to cater to their hunger.

“I’ve never told that to anybody, like, on film or anything. But there would be nights where we’re, like, running with our hoodie up, and we would break into the cafeteria to eat,” she revealed.

The Karolyi Ranch was shut down in 2018 after Simone Biles opened up over sexual abuse by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who is accused of taking advantage of Karolyi’s strict diet.