Fact Check: Does Simone Biles Rising have an Episode 5? Explained

Modified Jul 21, 2024 09:18 GMT

Simone Biles Rising Part 1 premiered on Netflix (Image via Netflix)

Simone Biles Rising, the new Netflix documentary series premiered on July 17, 2024, and has been popular with gymnastics fans. It is a two-part documentary series, the first two episodes of which are available to stream on Netflix. The second set of episodes is all set to premiere in the fall of 2024. Hence, the show will not be having an Episode 5.

Simone withdrew from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (Image via Netflix)

Katie Walsh is directing the documentary, alongside Ameeth Sankaran, Giselle Parets, Gotham Chopra, and Janey Miller as the executive producers. Based on the life of Simone Biles, the American-Belizean gymnast, the documentary will recall Biles' withdrawal from the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, struggling with mental health, and the story of her rising back.

Simone Biles Rising Netflix's documentary series will be released in two parts

Netflix confirmed in the trailer that Simone Biles Rising is a two-part sports documentary series, which will have four episodes in total. The episodes would be released in two Parts, i.e., two episodes each. Hence, there won't be any fifth episode, to put a rest to the rumors.

Part 1 consisting of the first two episodes premiered on Netflix on July 17, 2024. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Part 2 is set to release in the fall of 2024. This will follow Biles' journey as she prepares herself for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Simone experienced deteriorating mental health during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics(Image via Netflix)

Episode 1 titled, Write Me Down opens up with Biles struggling with her mental health. Set in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the episode follows Biles trying to keep herself from falling off the edge amidst harsh criticisms. The episode recounts all the reasons that led her to withdraw from the 2020 Olympics and take a break from the sport.

In the episode, Biles opens up about her decision saying,

“I’ve always had really good intuition about things,” “Like, freaky. I never tell people about it, but I can feel a lot of things that are going to happen before it does happen. And unfortunately, I felt that way about the [2020 Tokyo] Olympics.”

Biles Reveals talks about what happened at Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

The entire world was shocked when Simone Biles, one of the best gymnasts representing the United States, withdrew from numerous events in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

Fans were angry with the decision, and there was subsequent backlash, calling her "the quitter". However, Biles was struggling with deteriorating mental health. She was suffering from "twisters", a mental blockage that affected her mind-muscle coordination while being mid-air.

Rather than pushing herself to the edge, she decided to withdraw from the competition, prioritizing her mental health. This was a major decision to make, being considered "one of the greatest of all time". The weight of representing an entire nation, and the disappointment of not being able to do so, was caught on her face on camera.

This led her to embark on a journey of self-development, that took much more than physical training in the gym. Simone Biles Rising delves into this journey of self-discovery, portraying a world-class athlete at her lowest, slowly progressing towards trying to reclaim her position an the top.

Four years later, she is back in the game to complete an unfinished business, returning to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Simone Biles Rising delivers a strong message about womanism, providing an optimistic view toward mental health and self-love.

Simone Biles Rising is available to stream on Netflix.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay