FORT WORTH, Texas — The best thing Simone Biles did on her way to her ninth U.S. title won’t show up in the scoresheet.
Biles hasn’t lost an all-around gymnastics meet in more than a decade, and that streak was never in jeopardy at U.S. nationals. She had a commanding lead after the first night, and after breezing through her routine on a balance beam that tripped up many other competitors, it was clear it was going to be more of the same Sunday night.
But at 27, Biles has a perspective she wouldn’t have — couldn’t have — had as a younger gymnast. So when she noticed Suni Lee, whose career was nearly derailed last year by a kidney ailment, have a scary turn on vault, Biles did something not often seen in the sport.
Biles went to find Lee, who had gone backstage to try and compose herself, and ask if she was OK. She asked if Lee had gotten lost in the air, as Biles had at the Tokyo Olympics. When Lee said no, Biles told her to take a deep breath and trust in her gymnastics. Everything, Biles said, was going to be all right.
“She just helped boost me up and get my confidence back up because, at that point, I was kind of like thinking that this was over,” Lee said. “It was really nice having her in my corner. It just felt so good because I knew I was having a hard time, and she was just there.”
