Legendary US gymnast Simone Biles on Saturday won her first competitive event since 2021 to the beat of Noa Kirel's Eurovision hit "Unicorn."
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The seven-time Olympic medalist claimed first place at the Core Hydration Classic outside Chicago, Illinois, scoring a 14.0 on the uneven bars, a 14.8 on the balance beam, a 14.9 in the floor exercise and a 15.4 in the vault. She finished in first place in the all-around, vault, floor routine, and balance beam while placing third on the uneven bars.
Video: Noa Kirel at Ben-Gurion International Airport
"It felt really good, especially after everything that's happened over the past year," Biles told CNBC, referring to her withdrawal from several events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 to prioritize her mental health.
It was her first appearance after the unexpected departure. Fans cheered as Biles made a triumphant comeback accompanied by the track of the Israeli pop star who finished in third place in the Eurovision song competition in May.
"I always kind of knew (I'd return) as soon as everything happened in Tokyo," Biles told journalists. "So, this time I'm doing it for me, I worked a lot on myself and I believe in myself a little bit more. It's just coming back out here and starting those first steps again."
The 26-year-old gymnast also commented on the possibility of her competing at the Paris Olympics in 2024, saying that things are "heading in the right direction."
"We're still in the working steps," she said. "My main goal was this and then championships and then after that we'll look onto world and then we'll see, but so far it's heading in the right direction. But I still have to work on myself, I'm still going to do my therapy, I'm still going to put myself first."
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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