Just about three years after she came under a storm of criticism and controversy, Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles is attempting quite the spirited comeback.
The 27-year-old American superstar is one of the most decorated athletes in this country’s history, with an eye-popping 37 Olympic and World Championship medals.
That makes Biles the most decorated American gymnast ever — but even that didn’t shield her from waves of criticism when she effectively quit on Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics that actually took place in 2021.
Her shocking pullout — framed at the time as a nebulous “mental health” issue — caused the U.S. team to lose out on the gold medal for the first time since 2008.
On her IG stories, Simone Biles responds to people who think she “quit” on her team by explaining the “the twisties” she’s been experiencing and what it feels like “not having your mind and body in sync” …. pic.twitter.com/79hN973rkd
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) July 30, 2021
Biles, who has defended herself and claimed she never quit, was taken to task by many.
Time magazine even took flak for daring to give her an “Athlete of the Year” award after that no-show in 2021.
Do you think Biles was right to pull out of the 2020 Olympics?
Well, as the old adage goes, time heals all wounds, and Biles appears ready to return to the world’s stage with a shockingly clean PR bill.
The newest development in this apparent Biles comeback is a Netflix documentary series titled “Simone Biles Rising.”
The series received its first trailer on Wednesday:
And if you wondered whether this documentary addresses the 2021 kerfluffle, just listen to the opening line of the trailer.
“I’ve always had really good intuition about things,” Biles said.
She then added, “And unfortunately I felt that way about the Olympics.”
It appeared she was talking about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but the trailer left just enough doubt to leave an obvious hook for viewers.
And if there was any lingering doubt about this being a glorified PR comeback tour for Biles, look no further than the logline provided in the trailer description.
“Witness unprecedented access to the most powerful comeback in sports,” the description said. (Emphasis added.)
“Journey into the world of Simone as she grapples with vulnerability and self-doubt, redefining what it means to be a champion on her own terms,” it said.
Again, if it looks like a concentrated PR comeback attempt, and it walks like a concentrated PR comeback attempt — it’s not a mongoose.
While the Netflix documentary will assuredly win over some folks, the easiest path for Biles to get back into the good graces of the population at large is to dominate at the Paris Olympics.
And she won’t have to wait long.
The ceremonies for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will begin on July 26.
