Team USA superstar Simone Biles has asked reporters to stop asking one particular question.
Heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics, one of the main talking points was the return of gymnastics legend Biles.
The American endured a tough time during the Tokyo Olympics three years ago but was favourite to regain her form this time around.
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Biles, 27, has so far secured three gold medals having won the Artistic Individual All-Around, Artistic Team All-Around and the Women’s Vault.
Taking to social media, Biles sent a message to both her fans and the media on behalf of herself and her fellow Olympians.
She wrote on X: “You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics.
“Let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for.”
When one fan jokingly replied: “What is your next step after winning Gold medal?”
Biles said: “Babysitting the medal.”
During an interview, Biles revealed that she had been working with a therapist to deal with negative comments.
As per Sky News, she said: “The negative comments are painful up to a certain point. They hurt but I'm still in therapy working on all that, to make sure my mental health is well. But they (the critics) are really quiet now, so that's strange.
“After all these years of putting the mental work in, it's paid off. I'm super excited to be on this stage again.”
Biles added: “The Olympics is such a draining process for the athletes, and it's multiple days of competition, so you definitely have to be on top of your mental as well as physical (health). As long as we're doing that, then we're good. And so far I feel good.
“Once we're out here, the floor is our stage. It feels so freeing for us because we're in our element, we're having fun, we're doing what we love to do.”
Biles has the chance to add two more gold medals to her tally when she partakes in the beam and floor finals on Monday.
Topics: Gymnastics, Simone Biles, Olympics, USA, Fan Reactions
Marcus Chan