Simone Biles reveals why American gymnasts weren’t at the Olympics opening ceremony



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Simone Biles responded to a few questions from fans on Instagram during the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in Tokyo on Friday, citing her glaring absence.

As the colorful ceremony featured athletes from around the world, many noticed that Biles – widely recognized as the greatest gymnast of all time – was not in attendance.

In an Instagram story, Biles explained that the U.S. team viewed the threat of COVID-19 and the time that the athletes would stand at the ceremony as reasons not to go.

The US gymnastics team starts competing the next day, Biles said, and “it wouldn’t be smart” to attend the opening.

Instagram


Instagram

Instagram

The US team is “focused on preparation” and therefore would not be attending the opening ceremony, USA Gymnastics spokesperson Meredith Yeoman told The New York Times.

While Biles and his teammates were away, some members of the US Olympic team appeared at the opening, including basketball players Sue Bird and Eddy Alvarez, who acted as standard bearers.

This year’s US delegation of Olympians is one of the largest ever, with more than 610 athletes. Due to the number of Olympians competing and the pandemic, athletes have been urged to arrive in Tokyo five days before their events and leave within two days of their final competition.



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