Shawn Johnson East Weighs in on Simone Biles' Bold Move at Tokyo Olympics (Exclusive)
Simone Biles made the decision to withdraw from multiple events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health. She earned a lot of praise for her decision, but there were some people that didn't understand why she made the move shortly before the Olympics began. PopCulture.com recently caught up with former Olympics star Shawn Johnson East who loved what Biles did and the way Team USA performed during the Olympics.
"I watched every second of those and I was cheering, screaming for that team," East told PopCulture. "They got through a lot of really hard things. Major, major props to Simone Biles. I know it's a, it was a very hard topic to cover for just the average person watching, but what she was dealing with was serious. And it's a huge thing that happens in gymnastics. So I, I have major respect for what she did and for how the team pulled through that and was able to succeed with flying colors."
Team USA won the silver medal for artistic gymnastics. Biles did participate in the balance beam event and earned a bronze medal. The 24-year-old left Tokyo with two medals despite only taking part in one event. And the fact that she was able to win a medal despite everything going on shows the type of athlete she is.
"I've said it since the first time I saw her," East said. "I don't think we'll ever see a gymnast as good as, as good as her in the history of our sport, even in the future. What she's, what she dealt with at the Olympics usually is not, you, you don't come back from that in days or weeks. You come back from that in months or years. And to see her be able to overcome that and still compete while she was dealing with so much pressure was incredible. "
Biles is currently on tour with other gymnasts showcasing their talent for fans across the country. With her winning seven Olympics medals and 25 World Championships medals, Biles has nothing more to prove as a gymnast. But will she compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris? East thinks so. "I think she a hundred percent could. She's Simone Biles. She doesn't have to and she very well could. So yeah, she's going to be the goat either way."