Simone Biles Says She Feels the 'Weight of the World' Ahead of Gymnastics Team Finals at Tokyo Olympics

The gymnast took to Instagram ahead of Team USA's gymnastic finals against first-seeded Russia on Tuesday.

Simone Biles and the United States women's gymnastics team are gearing up to compete in the women's artistic team finals at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. Biles took to Instagram to reflect on her performance in the preliminary round and share the pressure she feels as she and her team prepare to head into the finals.

"Prelims ☑️ now to prepare for finals. It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha!," Biles said of the pressure to perform on the world's largest stage. "The olympics is no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually🤍 they mean the world to me!"

While the Olympic gold medalist is still the favorite in most events, the preliminary round was a bit of a struggle for Biles and the team, who are entering the finals in second place.

The second-seeded squad will go head-to-head with the Russian Olympic Committee, who are currently in first place as they go for the gold. Italy, Japan, Belgium, China, Great Britain and France will also be in the running for a spot on the podium.

The team is looking to extend its two-time streak, after topping the podium in 2016 and 2012.

In addition to Biles, who was a part of the 2016 team, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum will compete in the team event while Jade Carey will represent the U.S. in individual events.  

The women's artistic all-around final will air at 3:45 a.m. PT Tuesday on NBC.

NBC will broadcast the Olympics, with additional coverage on NBCOlympics.com and on the NBC Sports app. Another way to watch the Games is on Peacock.

RELATED CONTENT

 

Latest News