- Simone, 24, finished in first place in the All-Around competition after the second day of competition at the Olympic trials in St. Louis on Sunday
- She made several mistakes throughout the evening, including falling from the beam mid-routine, wobbling on bars, and going out of bounds twice on the floor
- Despite this, Simone still finished more than two points clear of her new Olympic teammate Suni Lee, who came in second
- The six female gymnasts chosen to represent the US in Tokyo appeared on the Today show with Hoda Kotb on Monday to discuss their selection
- Simone, who is the second oldest member of the team, said that she was ‘really happy’ to have been chosen, but said she was sad to have made mistakes
- Find out the latest Tokyo Olympic news including schedule, medal table and results right here
Simone Biles has opened up about her bittersweet Olympic trials experience, admitting that she felt ‘sad’ she had not given her ‘best performance’ after breaking down in tears when she suffered a rare fall from the beam.
Despite the uncharacteristic mistake, Simone, 24, sailed through the trials in the top all-around spot, finishing the second day of competition more than two points clear of her second-place teammate Suni Lee, and automatically earning herself a place on the four-person team for Tokyo.
But while Sunday’s trial ended on a high note, Simone confessed during an interview with the Today show’s Hoda Kotb on Monday that she is ‘sad’ she didn’t give the same flawless performance that she has proven herself to be capable of time and time again.
‘I was really happy, but I was sad because everybody came out here to watch us and I didn’t give them my best performance,’ she admitted while celebrating the team’s selection alongside the other five female gymnasts who will join her at the Olympics next month.
Emotional: Gymnast Simone Biles opened up about her bittersweet Olympic trials experience on the Today show on Monday, confessing she is ‘sad she didn’t give her best performance’
Upset: The 24-year-old, who finished in first place at the trials, was seen breaking down in tears after suffering a very uncharacteristic fall from the beam
Teary: Simone is known for her incredibly cheery disposition, and her rare display of emotion surprised many viewers at home
Taking a minute: After finishing her beam routine, Simone went to have her ankle taped up by her trainer, and she was seen wiping away tears as she sat down
Sunday night not only saw Simone making several mistakes – including a wobble on bars and two out-of-bounds tumbling passes on floor – it also saw the gymnast having a rare emotional moment after her fall on the beam.
Following the end of her routine, the gymnast returned to her seat on the sidelines, where she was seen wiping away tears of frustration while her trainer taped up her ankle.
Earlier in the evening, she was overheard telling her teammates, ‘I want to die’, after making an uncharacteristic error on the uneven bars earlier in the evening, her right leg wobbling forward on a Weiler.
So rare is it for Simone to make repeated mistakes during a competition that NBC’s commentators Nastia Liukin, Tim Daggett, and Terry Gannon felt the need to reassure viewers at home ‘not to worry’, insisting that the slip-ups are not an indication that the gymnast has lost any of her skills.
Her upset also sparked a frenzy on social media, with dozens of spectators taking to Twitter to voice their surprise at seeing Simone getting so emotional.
‘Simone Biles crying is the saddest thing to watch. Ugh make it stop,’ one person wrote, while another added: ‘Simone Biles crying has me in all the feels. We love you Simone!’
‘Simone Biles crying makes me want to cry,’ a third person chimed in.
Speaking to NBC after the first night of the Olympic trials, which took place on Friday, Simone confessed that she was feeling much more emotional about the process than she did back in 2016, and she admitted that her tears had left some of her teammates somewhat surprised.
