Netflix released the trailer Wednesday for “Simone Biles: Rising” and announced that the four-part docuseries will begin streaming on July 17, nine days before the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics. “Rising” follows Biles’ return to competition after a case of “the twisties” forced her out of most events at the Tokyo Games.
Simone Biles was expected to win multiple gold medals in Tokyo, including a second consecutive all-around title that would cement her status as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT). However, mental health issues exacerbated by the isolating COVID-19 restrictions in Tokyo resulted in “the twisties,” causing her to lose her sense of where she was in the air.
“I’ve always had really good intuition about things,” Biles said in the “Rising” trailer. “And unfortunately, I felt that way about the Olympics.”
Unwilling to risk her physical safety, Biles withdrew during the team final. She missed four individual event finals before returning for the balance beam final, where she won a bronze medal with a reworked routine that didn’t require her to do any twisting.
Simone Biles: Chasing Gold
Simone Biles left Tokyo unsure if she’d compete again. She was scarred by the vitriol and nastiness people directed at her and, worse, she didn’t trust her own gymnastics. Though she initially went back to the gym to stay in shape, she realized she didn’t want her illustrious career to end with Tokyo.
“I wanted to quit like 500,000 times. And I would have if it weren’t for my people,” Biles said in the trailer for the docuseries, which includes interviews with her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, family, coaches, and friends.
Rio teammate Aly Raisman, who remains close with Biles, is also featured in the docuseries. “I know that she’s expected to win all the gold medals, but even the fact she’s trying to come back is really amazing,” Raisman said.
Since returning to competition last year, Simone Biles has been dominant. She won her sixth all-around title at the world championships, and her five medals overall gave her 37 at worlds and the Olympics, making her the most-decorated gymnast ever, male or female. She swept all six events at the U.S. championships earlier this month, including winning her ninth all-around title.
“I knew it would be a long journey,” Biles says in “Rising.” “But to me, I knew it wasn’t done.”
Upcoming Docuseries
“Rising” is the first of three docuseries from Netflix and the International Olympic Committee. “Sprint,” which follows world champions Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, will also air ahead of the Paris Olympics. A still-to-be-named documentary on Olympic basketball, from the same team that made “Last Dance” about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ last title, will premiere early next year.
