Simone Biles Returning to 2023 US Classic After 2-Year Haitus

The highly accomplished gymnast and four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is set to return to competition at the US Classic, scheduled for August 5, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The event will take place at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Biles, an iconic figure in the sport, will be the focal point of the competition. Also joining the entry list is Sunisa Lee, who secured a gold medal in the all-around final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and has since been competing at Auburn.

Over the past two years, Biles has primarily been absent from elite gymnastics following her decision to withdraw from five out of six finals at the Tokyo Games.

Her choice to prioritize her mental health during that time profoundly impacted conversations surrounding athletes' well-being.

During the Tokyo Olympics, Biles experienced challenges known as "the twisties," a hazardous phenomenon that affects a gymnast's spatial awareness while performing airborne maneuvers.

As a result, she could not participate in the all-around vault and floor exercise finals, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing athletes' safety.

Simone Biles' Career

Simone Biles made an impressive Olympic debut at Rio 2016, capturing four gold medals and a bronze.

After taking a break in 2017, she continued her dominance by clinching nine additional world titles in 2018 and 2019, BBC Sports noted.

The highly anticipated Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, held high expectations for Biles to secure more gold medals. However, in a surprising turn of events, Biles withdrew from the Olympic women's team final after completing her vault.

Nevertheless, she returned to compete on the balance beam, where she displayed her remarkable skills and earned a well-deserved bronze medal.

In the aftermath of the games, Biles announced that she would be taking a step back from the sport but clarified that it was not a retirement.

Throughout her career, she has courageously spoken about the abuse she endured from former team doctor Larry Nassar, who is serving a life sentence in prison.

Biles' outstanding achievements were acknowledged and honored in 2021. She received the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year's Lifetime Achievement Award. She was later bestowed with the US Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the world of gymnastics.

The US Classics

The US Classic holds significant importance on USA Gymnastics' annual calendar. It typically serves as a preparation event for the national championships in late August in San Jose this year.

After a two-year break following her extraordinary performance in Rio de Janeiro, Simone Biles chose the 2018 US Classic as her comeback meet, per the Daily Mail.

Within two hours, she demonstrated her continued dominance in the sport, setting the stage for another remarkable journey.

However, this time, there are indications that things might differ in various ways. While preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, Biles became a prominent figure and, in many respects, the face of the US Olympic movement.

As the Paris Games approach in about a year, she is taking a more low-key approach.

Her social media channels have shifted away from gymnastics-focused content, instead featuring glimpses into her personal life.

Moreover, for the first time since her rise to stardom as a teenager in 2013, Biles won't bear the sole responsibility of being the standard-bearer for the US gymnastics program.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Simone Biles will return to competition - From WTHR