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In Netflix’s Powerful ‘Simone Biles Rising,’ the Gymnast Gets Candid About Pulling Out of the Tokyo Olympics: TV Review
In Netflix's 'Simone Biles Rising,' the gymnast reflects on her journey, overcoming mental health challenges, resilience, and her Olympic return.
Viewers see everything from shocking footage of Biles getting lost in the air while experiencing the “twisties” — the dangerous condition that caused her to withdraw from the competition — to childhood home video as she and her sister, Adria, recall being in foster care before being adopted. The toxic culture ingrained in the sport is explored in “Rising,” but Biles, Dawes and Okino also discuss the ostracization they’ve felt as Black women whose hair textures and body types often differ from their teammates. Though Biles spoke to the media about her mental health struggles at the time, and remained on the sidelines to support her teammates, her sportsmanship was overlooked, and she was vilified since she was unable to “perform.” This segment is especially horrifying, because the abusive practices of USA Gymnastics and the prosecution of sexual predator Larry Nassar were well-known by 2021.
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