As viewers watched the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, one familiar face was noticeably missing.
Simone Biles decided not to attend the star-studded event, held on Friday night on the Seine, along with Team USA.
However, her parents Ronald and Nellie Biles were quick to explain her absence during an interview with NBC News Hoda Kotb And Snoop Dogg.
“The first race is Sunday,” Nellie explained, “and that’s the Women’s Qualifier. And of course she has to rest for that race.”
The 27-year-old was advised to skip the lengthy meeting, along with her teammates Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey.
Simone Biles has chosen not to attend the opening ceremony, which was held on the Seine on Friday evening
The 27-year-old was advised to skip the long event as the gymnastics event starts on Sunday
Nellie added: “She’s feeling really good. I spoke to her this morning and she’s doing great. She’s just in a really good place.”
Simone’s parents will be cheering her on, along with her husband Jonathan Owens, who has been granted a waiver to miss Chicago Bears practice during the Games.
“I can’t wait to be able to support her,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“How did I get so lucky? That this is my wife and I get to watch someone who is literally at the top of her game and I get to call this my wife. It’s amazing. There are no words to describe it, just blessed.”
The 2024 Games will be Simone’s third appearance at the Olympics, three years after she withdrew from the all-around in Tokyo due to the winding courses.
Biles was forced to withdraw from part of the Tokyo Olympics due to a condition known as the ‘twisties’
She hopes to taste gold again in Paris, as she did in Rio during the 2016 Olympic Games.
This condition is a mental state in which gymnasts are unable to recognize where they are in the air during a routine.
Given the high level of difficulty of the moves Biles can perform, practicing the “twisties” can lead to serious injuries.
“I do therapy weekly to keep everything in balance so I feel comfortable and confident enough to compete,” Simone told ELLE earlier this month.
“It’s a crucial part of my training regimen. I understand and realize that I need to take care of both my physical and mental appearance.”
At the age of 27, Biles is now the oldest member of the team and will compete in a number of events in Paris.