Simone Biles Talks Decision to Compete in Tokyo Olympics After Larry Nassar Scandal

Simone Biles acknowledged the Larry Nassar scandal and its subsequent fallout was weighing heavily on her as she prepared to compete in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

"If you looked at everything I've gone through for the past seven years, I should have never made another Olympic team," the four-time Olympic gold medalist said to Camonghne Felix of The Cut.

"I should have quit way before Tokyo, when Larry Nassar was in the media for two years. It was too much. But I was not going to let him take something I've worked for since I was six years old. I wasn't going to let him take that joy away from me."

More than 150 women and girls testified that Nassar sexually abused them while he worked as a team doctor for Michigan State and USA Gymnastics. Biles said in January 2018 she was "one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar."

The buildup to the 2021 Olympics created a perfect storm for the 24-year-old.

In addition to the strain the Nassar scandal placed on her, she had to shoulder the burden of being the most dominant gymnast in the world and one of the most prominent faces for Team USA. Perfection was the expectation.

In a telling interview with the New York Times' Juliet Macur prior to the Summer Games, Biles said one of the happiest moments of her gymnastics career was "honestly, probably my time off." She also explained how her years of competition had exacted a significant toll on her physically.

Biles also made it clear she didn't see herself as an ambassador for USA Gymnastics after what she had been through.

"I’m going to go out there and represent the USA, represent World Champions Centre, and represent Black and brown girls over the world," she said. "At the end of the day, I’m not representing USA Gymnastics."

Although Biles made the trip to Tokyo, she temporarily withdrew from the Olympics to focus on her mental health. She later explained she had the "twisties," an issue in which a gymnast is experiencing a mental block that prevents them from properly timing a move.

Biles still won bronze in the balance beam and helped the United States earn silver in the team event.