‘THE OLYMPICS IS NO JOKE’

Simone Biles Says She Has ‘Weight of the World’ on Her Shoulders After Faltering Tokyo Start

“I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard,” the gymnast posted after an uncharacteristically error-strewn performance.

She was less than perfect—and when you’re Simone Biles, that hurts. After making a series of errors in Sunday’s Tokyo Olympic qualifying, the greatest U.S. gymnast in history has admitted the pressure is getting to her. The 24-year-old tumbled out of the competition area and made a clumsy dismount from the beam—although she still topped the overall standings and could add six golds to the four she already has. “It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it,” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The Olympics is no joke!”