On the heels of her performance in Rio, U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles held a news conference at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Saturday to talk about her reentry into the U.S.
There were some things the gymnast looked forward to most when she returned to her hometown in Spring this past week.
“Eating pizza, just going home and relaxing with my family, and then seeing some of my friends,” she said.
During the Olympic Games in Rio, Biles won four gold medals and one bronze, earning her the distinction of being the most decorated U.S. gymnast, with a total of 19 medals.
She said it is “weird” to know that she is the most accomplished gymnast but remains grounded.
“We keep things as normal as possible,” she said. "Yesterday, we went out to dinner with my mom and my sister and my friends. I don’t know what chaos feels like yet.”
Biles begins a tour this September with Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions, with a stop in Houston’s Toyota Center Sept. 30.
"It’ll be a lot different because we’re not being judged or have a score come up so we can actually relax and then just have fun with what we’re doing,” she said.
She said she has her eyes on the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo but for the moment is enjoying her time here.
"Spring will always be home because it’s where I’m from, and it’s where I’ve grown up,” she said. "It’s always somewhere where I can come back and feel at home with everyone.”
Medals Biles earned in Rio Olympics:
- Gold-individual vault
- Gold-individual all-around
- Gold-team all-around
- Gold-individual, floor exercise
- Bronze-individual balance beam
