simone biles

Simone Biles shares uplifting message to fans after shocking Olympics performance

Let's go Team USA!

Rebecca Lewis - Los Angeles
Los Angeles correspondentLos Angeles
July 27, 2021

Simone Biles has broken her silence following a disappointing start to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The acclaimed gymnast, and the rest of Team USA, had a rough first day to their competition, with Simone stepping off the mat on two disciplines.

Teammates Grace McCallum and Jordan Chiles also made missteps, while Sunisa Lee was marked down for a messy floor routine.

MORE: Simone Biles is on HELLO!'s Kind List

WATCH: Simone Biles falls off mat during Tokyo 2020 qualifying rounds

The team, thought to be shoe-ins for the gold medal, entered the finals in second place.

Sharing pictures from her first day, Simone took to Instagram and admitted "it wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it".

"I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha!" she added.

"The olympics is no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually, they mean the world to me!"

Simone took to social media to break her silence

However, their gold medal chances remain alive as the points are set to zero for the finals, allowing the eight countries who made it through to start afresh.

The U.S. has won the team event in every Olympics and world championship since 2011.

Simone is also still in contention for solo medals, as she leads the all-around standings and made it to the finals for the vault, floor, beam and uneven bars.

Team USA is hoping to win golds across the board 

If she wins the gold in all five, she will become the first gymnast to win five at one single Olympics; Simone, Larisa Latynina, Vera Caslavska and Ecaterina Szabo have all won four.

She could also be the first to win six if the USA wins the team event.

If she wins three medals, across gold, silver, or bronze, she will become the most decorated U.S. gymnast ever, beating current record-holder Shannon Miller.

Read more HELLO! US stories here 

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