Simone Biles’ return to gymnastics could save the sport, but that’s not why she’s competing in San Jose this week

USA Gymnastics had to start from scratch after sexual abuse scandal

SAN JOSE — Beacon, the fluffy golden retriever running around the SAP Center with his tongue out and heart open, ready to wag his tail and burrow his adorable snout into anyone who needs it, is the emotional support dog.

Then you’ll notice the name behind every banner and piece of signage: USA Gymnastics, a name once associated with betrayal and trauma following the sport’s 2018 sexual abuse scandal.

Beacon is one of several emotional support dogs inside SAP this week, his cheerful presence part of USA Gymnastics’ transformation from an organization that failed an entire generation of young girls to one that is attempting to reestablish itself as a safe haven for elite competition.

“It makes me a little emotional,” said Li Li Leung, USA Gymnastics’ president and CEO since 2019. “In terms of the current state of the sport, we have come a long way.”

Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast of all time and the overwhelming favorite to win, will undoubtedly be the star of this week’s U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the SAP Center. She is the oldest competitor on the women’s side of the competition, at 26 years old. This is her second meet since returning from a two-year hiatus following her traumatic experience at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Biles withdrew from four of five event finals, citing mental health issues that made it difficult for her to complete midair twists, competing only on the beam and earning a bronze medal with a shortened version of her routine.

Many people were surprised when she returned to the sport three weekends ago at the US Classic in the Chicago suburbs.

Biles was one of 150 gymnasts who testified in the 2018 trial of former team doctor Lawrence G. Nassar, who was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for multiple sex crimes.

Following the dark scandal, USA Gymnastics required more than a makeover; it required a complete overhaul.

Leung, who was a vice president for the NBA before becoming president of USA Gymnastics in 2019, oversaw an overhaul of the executive team. In the last six years, USA Gymnastics’ staff has changed by 70%.

The organization began to encourage its athletes to express themselves on social media platforms about anything they were passionate about. More training was implemented to educate coaches and athletes about abuse. It launched a mental health program in which athletes and coaches can be reimbursed for mental health visits.

“Changing our culture to one that prioritizes athletes’ safety and health first and foremost was the thing to lead with,” said Jill Geer, chief communications and marketing officer.

What USA Gymnastics really needed was for its most powerful athletes to return.

Last fall, Biles began training casually and secretly at her Houston gym. In January, she increased her training regimen, met with her coaches, and decided to compete again over margaritas at a Mexican restaurant.

She dominated the U.S. Classic by a whopping five points in her debut three weeks ago in Chicago, the rough equivalent of a 20-stroke victory in a golf tournament.

Tabitha Yim, the women’s coach at Stanford, said Biles “looked even stronger than before.”

Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee, who is competing in San Jose this weekend, told reporters at the Classic that Biles “looks amazing, like she didn’t take a year off, or any time off, and, like, how do you do that?”

When she returned, Biles made one thing clear: “This time I’m doing it for me,” she told CNBC. “I spent a lot of time working on myself.” And I have a little more faith in myself.”

After sentencing Nassar to life in prison in 2018, the judge addressed the victims directly in the courtroom, telling them that power would be returned to them.

When Biles steps onto the mat on Friday evening, it will be an individual triumph as well as a triumph for an entire generation of gymnasts.

If she wins the all-around title, it will be her eighth national title, a record.

“I love the fact that she’s doing this for herself,” Leung said. “And enjoying it at the same time.”