Fun in the city sun! Team USA Olympic champions Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa “Suni” Lee and Jade Carey reunited in New York City on Thursday, August 5, following their incredible showing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The group met up in the Big Apple to make an appearance on the Today show to show off their incredible medals and talk about their time in Japan. Needless to say, it has been a very tumultuous competition for the Team USA ladies.
On July 27, Simone unexpectedly pulled out of the team finals due to a mental health concern following a shaky performance on vault. The next day, the Ohio native announced that she would be withdrawing from the all-around competition. She then withdrew from the vault and uneven bars finals on July 30, and early the next morning, Simone withdrew from the floor finals.
She later revealed she was suffering from the “twisties,” a phenomenon in gymnastics where an athlete can lose awareness in mid-air, which makes it very difficult to land safely and complete the move. “Every once in a while, she would form this block and it usually had nothing to do with the gymnastics itself,” Simone’s coach Aimee Boorman explained on the Today show on July 29. “It had to do with other things going on in her, in her universe.”
Simone went on to compete on balance beam and take home the bronze medal — but following her win, she opened up about more of her struggles throughout the competition. “At the end of the day, people don’t understand what we are going through,” she said during a press conference. “Two days ago, I woke up and my aunt unexpectedly passed, and it wasn’t any easier being here at the Olympic Games.”
“I was like, ‘Oh my God. This week needs to be over,'” Simone’s coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi revealed to reporters the same day. “I asked her, ‘What do you need?’ And she said, ‘I just need some time.’ I said, ‘You call me, text me if you need anything I’ll be here. Whatever that is.’ She called her parents. She said, ‘There’s nothing I can do from over here. So I’m just going to finish my week and when I get home we’ll deal with it.'”
The Olympian reflected on her wins — including Team USA’s collective silver medal — on August 4. “Not at all how I imagined or dreamed my second Olympics would go but blessed to represent the USA. I’ll forever cherish this unique Olympic experience,” she wrote via Instagram. “Thanks everyone for the endless love and support. I’m truly grateful. Leaving Tokyo with [two] more Olympic medals to add to my collection isn’t too shabby! Seven-time Olympic medalist.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of Simone, Jordan, Suni and Jade enjoying NYC following the Olympic Games!