In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the world and ultimately forced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that were scheduled to be held last summer. As a result of the 2020 Olympics being pushed back a full calendar year, four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles had her doubts as to whether she'd be mentally able to prepare for the rescheduled Summer Games.
"I just sat there and I was like, 'I really don't know how I'm going do this'…Mentally, that was going to be the hardest part because pushing through those trainings when I had in my mind, 'In three months I'll be done,' it's like, how do you push back for another year?" Biles told CBS News' Sharyn Alfonsi in a '60 Minutes' interview that will air on Sunday.
Biles, who has won more Olympic and world championship gold medals than any other American gymnast, was emotionally affected by the postponement of the Olympics Games. With Biles set compete in the Olympic Games this summer, she she's continued a strict training regimen of six hours a day, six days per.
When Biles initially learned about the postponement, the United States gymnast pondered her decision for for nearly two months, before ultimately choosing to compete in Tokyo this summer.
"It took a little bit of time," Biles added. "But then I talked to my coaches and Cecile [Landi] especially was like, 'You know what, Simone? You've trained so hard for this. Why would you give it up?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah, you're right. I didn't come this far to only come this far.'"
Biles last participated at the 2019 Gymnastics World Championships, capturing gold medals in the individual all-around, vault, balance beam and floor exercise, to go along with a team gold for the Team USA. She now has 25 world championship medals overall, to go along with her five Olympic medals from Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Biles also discussed the United States Gymnastics Team sexual abuse scandal involving Dr. Larry Nassar. She revealed that if she has children, she doesn't want them to follow in her footsteps and be involved with the United States Gymnastics Team.
"I don't feel comfortable enough, because they haven't taken accountability for their actions and what they've done," Biles said. "And they haven't ensured us that it's never going to happen again."
