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Gymnastics legend shares alarming health episode
Seven-time Olympic champion Simone Biles disclosed a frightening medical emergency this week, describing it as "one of, if not the scariest experience of my life" in a series of social media posts.
Hospital visit and recovery
Biles, 29, shared images of hospital wristbands and a heart-rate monitor on her Instagram Stories, indicating she had been admitted for treatment. She confirmed the incident was health-related in a public reply to a fan on X, formerly Twitter.
"I'm not one to normally share things like this because I value privacy in today's age," she wrote. "But almost dying wasn't on my bingo card earlier this week."
Currently resting at home, Biles noted her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, was away in Indianapolis for pre-season training with the Colts when the episode occurred. She expressed gratitude to friends and family who checked on her, visited, or sent flowers.
No details yet on condition
Biles did not specify the nature of her health scare but promised to "explain sooner or later." Representatives for Biles and USA Gymnastics have not yet responded to requests for comment from BBC Sport.
Her posts included photos of floral arrangements and a comforting image of her dogs on a bed, captioned "I'll be here," alongside the heart-rate monitor screenshot.
Olympic legacy and future plans
Biles recently competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she secured gold medals in the team, all-around, and vault events, along with a silver in floor exercise. Her total of 41 World Championship and Olympic medals cements her status as one of the greatest female athletes of all time.
A trailblazer in gymnastics, Biles has four skills named after her-the "Biles"-which are now performed by gymnasts worldwide. She made her Olympic debut at age 19 during Rio 2016 and has competed in two additional Games.
Despite her unparalleled success, Biles has previously stated she is uncertain about competing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
