The U.S. Gymnastics Federation announced today, Wednesday, that Simone Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, will return to competition for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics at the U.S. Classic in Chicago in early August. Biles (26 years old) will participate in the one-day event scheduled for August 5, after missing competitions over the past two years following her withdrawal from several events in Tokyo in 2021.
Biles, who won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, stated that the pressure from high expectations and her desire to maintain her mental health were behind her decision to withdraw from the Tokyo competitions, where she won one bronze medal in the balance beam and a silver medal in the team event but withdrew after the vault. With this, her Olympic medal count has reached seven, tying her with Shannon Miller, the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history.
Also participating in the Chicago event will be Suni Lee, who excelled in Biles' absence and won the all-around competition in Tokyo, and Jade Carey, who won gold in the floor exercise. The federation's statement noted that the current participant list "includes 12 members of the Olympic team and 16 from the World Championship team." It added, "Together, they have won a total of sixty medals in the Olympics and World Championships, 12 in the Olympics and 48 at World Championships. This includes 46 medals from either the World Championships or the Olympics, won by Biles (32), Carey (8), and Lee (6)."
