If it seemed like the had a blast competing at the Paris Olympics, that’s because they did—and it marks the dawn of a happier, healthier era for a sport that has traditionally not been kind to its biggest stars. While each of the four returning Team USA gymnasts— , , , and —have been on distinctly different, personal journeys to get back to the Games, all of them agree that the goal has been the same: To go easy on themselves this time around and enjoy every moment. And that goal has paid off to the tune of a collective 12 Olympic medals for their team, which included newcomer .
USA Gymnastics has not always been known for protecting the mental and physical health of its athletes. Almost a decade ago, the sport cast a dark shadow after hundreds of female gymnasts, including Biles, came forward about the sexual abuse they experienced from former US national team doctor . In 2016, Nassar was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting at least 265 young women.
In 2017, he pled guilty to possession of child pornography and tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison. Two more state sentences followed, resulting in an de facto life sentence. And during the 2020 Tokyo games (held in 2021), the cloud of COVID-19 put a particular damper on the events, forcing athletes to compete essentially in isolation from their loved ones.
But in recent years, USA Gymnastics has placed a bigger emphasis on mental health. The , an independent authority establi.