Off The Record

Simone Biles Explained Why She Didn’t Eat In The Olympic Village, Which Sparked A Heated Debate Among Users

Published on August 10, 2024

Simone Biles shared that she ate alone at the Olympic Village, and her reason caused mixed reactions online, with some criticizing her and others supporting her.
Meanwhile, fellow athletes at the Paris Olympics are facing tough conditions in the Olympic Village, and this has caught media attention.
Get a look at the personal challenges athletes share on social media, showing their strength and determination amid the pressures of the games.

Everyone is watching the Olympics in Paris, not only for the exciting competitions but also for the participants’ distressing experiences. Simone Biles and her competitors have talked candidly about the difficult conditions during the Games.

Simone Biles has put on an absolutely remarkable performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. With eleven Olympic medals to her credit, she is regarded as the best gymnast of all time.

Biles has also won 30 medals at the World Championships, cementing her place as the most decorated gymnast in history. Even a maneuver known as “the Biles” bears her name. The athlete faced a crucial time in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games despite her enormous accomplishment.

The gymnast had the “Twisties,” or a disconnection between her body and mind, during her vault routine. She stumbled because she lost control of her body while in midair.

In an exclusive interview published in April 2024 on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Biles discussed that terrible event. She claims that during training, she began experiencing the twisties and told her teammates.

“‘I’m fighting demons. I’m fighting demons right now, but I’m going to do it for you guys,'” she remembered telling them. She decided to push through that while feeling like she was fighting her body and her mind to do the tricks.

When Biles attempted the one-and-half, her teammates were surprised by how well she did. She answered “yes” when they asked if she was alright, even though she knew she wasn’t.

The adored gymnast started to feel the pressure at that time. She had to put up a score first, so they couldn’t send in her teammate Jordan Chiles just yet.

Biles was preoccupied with what people would say about her subpar performance after she failed at the vault. She said that if their politicians don’t deliver, the people at home usually become very critical.

“I thought I was going to be banned from America. Because that’s what they tell you, ‘Don’t come back if it’s not gold,'” she shared. Biles described that moment in her career as “horrible,” adding she knew she would not recover because getting over twisties takes time.

She informed her coach after her routine that she would not be able to continue competing. Because she didn’t want her teammates to worry, the Olympian maintained her cool even as she went through the motions of what had transpired.

They weren’t sure they would get a medal without her, but Biles urged them to keep going. Still, she emphasized that they were the reason they were there in the first place.

The seasoned competitor said that losing their greatest player to the tournament had a significant impact on her teammates. “That’s something I’ll never forgive myself for,” she expressed.

Biles was aware that, in her state, she was unable to assist her team. Despite becoming lost in the air, she was shocked that she was able to finish the warm-ups, compete, and land on her feet.

Biles clarified that the perception of her withdrawal as someone who didn’t want to lose was unfounded. She needed time apart to thoroughly assess her mental state, which she desired to accomplish.

She most likely would have hurt herself if she had competed in that state, and they would not have been able to find a replacement for her. Biles underlined that Team USA would not have taken home a medal if she hadn’t made the decision to back off.

But at the Olympics in Paris, she was able to make amends and restore the team’s honor. Biles took home four medals, comprising three gold and one silver.

The gymnast emphasized the significance of mental health at the 2024 Olympic Games due to her personal experience with mental illness at the previous Games. Before participating, she shared a picture of herself with her legs crossed and her eyes closed, captioning it, “Mental health matters.”

In addition to showcasing her remarkable accomplishments and maintaining her mental well-being, Biles has discussed the drawbacks of living in Paris. After athletes voiced concerns about the conditions they were subjected to while in the fashion center of the world, the city has come under intense scrutiny.

In the middle of the competition, Biles shared on social media an intimate glimpse at her time spent at the Olympic Village, where many other competitors are presently billeted.

She shared a TikTok video of herself enjoying dessert in her apartment. A narrator over the video says, “Spectacular, Give me 14 of them right now.”

Biles said on social media that she no longer ate at the Olympic Village. She was inundated with requests to snap pictures with her the moment she arrived.

“Whenever I sat down to eat, my anxiety was so bad, I was shaking. And I couldn’t stop shaking and I was so overwhelmed,” she divulged on TikTok. She spent five days without eating there and opted to go to the grocery store to stock up on food and stay cooped up in her room.

Social media users had differing opinions about Biles’ justification for quitting dining at the Olympic Village. Some people understand her decision and agree with her.

“I don’t blame her. Every little thing she does and doesn’t do is being scrutinized through a fine-toothed comb,” said one user, adding people should give Biles some privacy to deal with her anxiety, among other things, to keep her mental health in check.

Another expressed, “Anxiety is terrible. I suffer from it really badly. I’m so glad hers is under control enough that she got to stay focused and participate in the Olympics.”

Meanwhile, others disagreed with one person writing, “She’s stuck up,” another added, “[She] doesn’t eat with the peasants lol.” One assumed, “Probably embarrassed.”

Someone else remarked, “She’s a messy eater.” While another online user slammed the gold medalist’s choice to eat alone, stating, “That’s a really silly reason.”

In addition to Biles’s own experience, some competitors have made the decision to leave the Olympic Village entirely because of adverse weather.

According to rumors, tennis player Coco Gauff complained about the subpar facilities, so they left for motels. The Village, which was first commended for having an excellent setup, is currently receiving criticism for unfavorable circumstances.

Biles voiced complaints about low-quality mattresses, and Emma Navarro, a different tennis player, voiced concerns about cardboard beds—also known as anti-sex beds.

Some sportsmen disclosed that their rooms lack air conditioning and that they had to purchase their own toilet paper. Gauff revealed that ten sportsmen share two bathrooms. Many of her teammates chose to stay in hotels as a result, but she stayed behind.

Furthermore, the lack of food has been the main topic of discussion among the complaints. Manu Bhaker, an Indian medal winner, revealed that there is a dearth of nutritious meals.

Athletes complained that their meals were either inadequate or lacking in protein when they arrived in the village, which had been prepared to serve 13 million meals.

Furthermore, there is supposedly an egg shortage, so the city decided to serve the athletes green menu items. A few sportsmen have gone so far as to prepare their own meals.

American swimmer Abbey Weitzeil posted a TikTok video of herself and her teammate grabbing lunch supplies. She said, “We can’t get ourselves to get into the dining hall today,” as the video continued to show them eating egg-filled sandwiches.

@abbeyweitzeil

After winning gold, Team USA gymnasts commented on the topic of food quality at a news conference. They apparently hesitated to answer when asked if they were enjoying the French food, exchanging glances, until Biles intervened.

She explained, “I don’t think we’re having proper French cuisine in the village like you guys might be eating because you’re outside the village. For the athletes, it’s a little bit healthier.”

While Biles gave a sugar-coated response, her teammate, Hezly Rivera, was more direct. “I don’t think it’s very good, at least what we’re having in the dining hall,” she said.

Adam Peaty, a British swimmer, has also voiced his displeasure with the quality and quantity of food that the Paris 2024 Olympic organizers provided to competitors. Following her fourth-place finish in the 4×100-meter medley relay, Peaty brought attention to problems at the Olympic Village, including a scarcity of protein options and lengthy lines.

He made a negative comparison of the food to that of the Tokyo and Rio Games. The organizers of Paris 2024 replied that they had changed and had taken the input carefully, but they were unable to verify Peaty’s particular grievances.

Peaty called for changes and underlined how crucial good nutrition is for performance, pointing out that athletes are the greatest people to provide input on these kinds of things.

The Paris 2024 Olympics brought to light the successes as well as the difficulties faced by athletes, and Simone Biles’s open disclosures of her nervousness and difficult circumstances sparked significant conversations.

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