Simone Biles' Top 4 Ways to Stay Cool Under Olympic Pressure
“I always get a little bit nervous once I get up there,” she told ABC News.
-- The U.S. women’s gymnastics team took home the gold medal in the team all-around final at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Simone Biles dominated the women’s team competition as the only U.S. gymnast competing in all four events for the powerhouse team, now officially nicknamed the “Final Five.” She exhibited both explosive power and rock-solid confidence, along with her obvious sense of joy at the incredible outcome.
“I always get a little bit nervous once I get up there,” she told ABC News. “I know that if I just trust in myself that it’ll be a good set. I know what I’ve accomplished. It’s just the beginning, but I’m very excited for it all.”
So what are Biles’ top four gold medal secrets to success?
Enjoy the ride:
“You can still be very good at what you do and have fun,” she said. “You don’t have to be serious all the time to do a good job.”
Never give up:
“If you ever have a mistake, you try to just kind of forget about it because if you carry that with you for the rest of the routine then the rest of your routine might not go as planned,” she explained. “So you just kind of shake it off and you just continue your routine like you didn’t fall.”
Trust in your squad:
“We’ve always had each other’s backs in and out of competition,” said Biles. “We support each other the most because we’re the only ones that know what it’s like to go through what we do and so we can’t be more thankful for each other. We’re like sisters.”
After you give your all, treat yourself:
“It doesn’t even matter if I don’t win a self-gold, after every meet I have pizza. Pepperoni pizza,” she said.
As Biles tumbles her way into history, she’s even featured in Tide Pod’s “Evolution of Power” video.
“It means the world to us because the evolution of gymnastics has changed so much,” the Olympian said about the Tide video. “I’m just really proud.”