SAN JOSE, Calif. — Simone Biles is not going to explain herself. Part of this is by design. Part of this is because she simply can’t.
When the gymnastics star is at her best, as she was Sunday night while winning her record eighth U.S. championship, she feels like she’s in a “fever dream.” It’s not autopilot exactly. It’s more of a vibe. A flow.
It’s in those moments the doubts that still plague her almost daily even now, a decade into a run of unprecedented excellence, fade away.
There is no thinking. No overanalyzing. No trouble finding her bearings even while twisting through the air. All of it recedes into the background. Her coach, Laurent Landi, calls it a skill. Biles won’t go that far. Maybe because she simply doesn’t want to.
She spent a long time, far too long, getting caught up in her head. She’s intent on not doing it this time around.