“Could End Up Paralyzed”: Simone Biles’ Fans Call Out ‘Quitter’ Tag After Paris Olympics Favorite Drops Netflix Premiere

She came, she saw, she fell, she rose, and she conquered – and she is The Simone Biles. The 27-year-old gymnast, who framed every possible gymnastics accolade on her wall of fame, has become a testament to the American dream. Defying gravity, when she performs Yurchenko Double Pike (Biles II), she ends up clinching the all-around title. And now, adding one more honor to her galore, the “once-in-a-lifetime athlete” is making her Netflix debut.

However, for Biles, the grass was not always greener. There were critics, there was noise, and there was clamor calling her “quitter” when the gymnast withdrew from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the wake of “twisties”. But, the 7x Olympic medalist “wasn’t done”. She came back. And, when she came back, cheers erupted in the gymnastics arena, asserting that the legend is here, and she is here to stay. 

On a similar note, when on 19th May, Netflix dropped the first trailer for Simone Biles Rising, her fans once again shut down the conjectures around Biles’ exit from the 2021 Olympics. “People love to watch the come-up,” conceded Biles in the trailer of her four-part documentary. That being said, the 9x US All-Around champion also shared the turmoil she went through when people tagged her as “Quitter of the year.”

But, all along, Simone Biles stood firm on the fact that “Sometimes you have to take the power back,” – and she did exactly that when she stepped on the mat in August 2023. Following this, she made sure to first clinch the 2023 US Core Hydration Classic title, then the 2023 Xfinity Gymnastics title, and then she concluded her comeback year by bagging the 6th World All-Around title in Belgium.

Hence, as Biles is now eyeing another gold awaiting her in the French capital, her fandom took a moment to applaud her journey till now. 

Simone Biles garnered acclaim as she is “going for another Olympic run”

As the trailer gave a peek from 2021, that shows Biles walking out of the Ariake Gymnastics Center, many fans flocked to the comment section to pen their regard for the gymnast’s decision. One of her admirers added, “Good for her for pulling out when she didn’t feel right. People gave her a lot of crap for it too. What was she supposed to do, continue anyway and risk being permanently injured or even killed? These stunts that she does are insanely dangerous and have to be executed just right, or else she could end up paralyzed or something.”  

More so, after scoring 14.000 in the women’s balance beam category in Tokyo, Biles went on to perform her vault routine but when she landed, she knew, it was the case of twisties, and her first thought was, “I am going to be banned from America.” But, her supporters never failed to cheer her up.

Hence, calling out the social media cult, a fan mentioned, “Anyone who thinks she’s a quitter or betrayed our country has obviously never hurled themselves 15 feet in the air and performed a mind blowing skill. As much as the sport is physical, it’s also mental and if she felt something was off, that is seriously dangerous. She did what she needed to do to keep herself safe.”

Joining forces with Biles’ fandom, NFL safety Jonathan Owens can also be seen commending his wife in the trailer. “She bounced back and she really opened my eyes,” stated Owens. Interestingly, the gymnast’s 2016 Rio Olympics’ Final-Five teammate Aly Raisman also joined the clan and acclaimed the 9x US All-Around champion. On the other hand, British gymnast, Max Whitlock gave a one-word regard and tagged the trailer of ‘Simone Biles Rising’ as “powerful.”

Nonetheless, Simone Biles credits the major chunk of her success to the people who supported her and helped her navigate through the though waters. “I wanted to quit like 500,000 times and I would’ve if it weren’t for my people,” acknowledged the gymnast. 9x national champion, 4x Olympic gold medalist, and 4 moves named after her, Biles, indeed, soared to great heights with A body in motion, and A life in Balance.