Nothing can stop Simone Biles from competing in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, she told Hoda Kotb on NBC News’ TODAY.
In a Jan. 22 interview, the gymnast, 23, shared that while she was disappointed that the 2020 summer Olympics were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, she hopes that the global event will be held in 2021 as scheduled, no matter what that means for her.
Simone, who said that she’s training “as if” the Olympics will occur on schedule, explained, “Hopefully the Olympics can still be put on, even if it means we’re in a bubble. I’ll basically do anything at this moment…It just is a matter of time until we hear what the Olympic Committee has to say and what their precautions are going to be going forward. But whatever they say they want us to do, I’m in 100 percent.”
Right now, there are only rumors that the Olympics, which are planned to head to Tokyo this summer, will once again be postponed or even cancelled as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. Thus far, Japan has denied the rumors and says the show will go on, though it’s almost inevitable that some precautions—such as keeping competitors in a “bubble,” like the NBA did in 2020—will be put in place.
