Simone Biles is getting back into the swing of things!The four-time Olympic gold medalist was spotted practicing a routine on the uneven bars Friday morning ahead of her return to competition this weekend at the next U.S. Classic gymnastics competition.
Biles, 26, was smiling throughout the morning practice session, as she warmed up in black and white sweats.
She later donned a red leotard and began practicing her routine on the uneven bars and later the floor in front of a live audience at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
USA Gymnastics announced in late June that Biles would be returning to competition this weekend for the first time since competing at the Tokyo Olympics. Last month the seven-time Olympic medalist confirmed the news, tweeting that she was “excited to get back out on the competition floor!”
Simone Biles Confirms She’s Competing for First Time Since Tokyo Olympics: ‘Excited to Get Back Out’
In recent weeks ahead of her return, Biles has opened up on social media about prioritizing her mental health as well, noting that she’s been going to “lots of therapy.”“I’ve had so much trauma, so being able to work on some of the traumas & work on healing is a blessing,” she wrote on Instagram last month.
Simone Biles Says She Was ‘Petrified’ to Return to ‘Twisting on Any Event’ After 2020 Olympics
Simone Biles.
Erin Hooley/AP Photo
Getting back on the uneven bars this weekend will prove to be one of Biles biggest challenges, the 19-time world champion indicated in another post on Instagram last month.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest storiesDuring a Q&A session on Instagram, Biles said she had to overcome an initial fear of “twisting” after a fan had asked what her “hardest event to come back to” was now that she’s gearing up to compete again.
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Simone Biles.
Erin Hooley/AP Photo
“It’s always bars … mentally and physically but this go around BABY!!! Twisting on any event,” Biles wrote.
“Mainly because when the twisties happen you go right into the gym and work on it,” the U.S. gymnastics icon added. “I took over a year off and THEN came back… So I was petrified. But I’me fine. I’m twisting again. No worries. All is good.”
Biles is set to compete in this weekend’s Core Hydration Classic on Saturday evening, which will be shown live on CNBC and streamed on Peacock. She has won 19 gold medals at past U.S. Classic events dating back to 2012.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education