Knowing what we now know about Simone Biles, we would have no idea she was once a “nobody.” At least according to her.
A nobody who couldn’t get a public address announcer to pronounce her name correctly.
Yep.
“Antwerp gave me all the confidence I needed going forward. When I came into 2013, I was literally a nobody,” Biles said on the Antwerp 2023 YouTube channel.
The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, along with Biles, return to Antwerp beginning Sunday. This is 10 years after Biles received four medals, including two gold in all-around and floor exercise.
“I think it’s full circle,” Biles said. “So now to go [back to Antwerp] in 2023 is pretty crazy.”
The 25-time World champion enters the competition more mature. She said previously this time around she has a different definition of success now that she’s accomplished everything she has.
It had been a long road for the return. Biles worried she wouldn’t compete again after dealing with what the gymnastics world calls “twisties” when one’s body and mind aren’t working together, in sync.
She’s certainly come a long way.
“I remember being like absolutely petrified,” she said, referring to the 2013 Worlds. “I wish I could remember more, but I feel like it’s a blur. … I didn’t think I was going to even end up in top six.”
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.