Why you don't want to miss the opening ceremony of the Games

As with any major event, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is one of those things you really prepare for. No matter how dreadful the music often is, when there’s a fireworks show and large groups of dancers moving in sync, you can quickly call it a festive moment. There have already been some rumors circulating about this year's opening: Lady Gaga was spotted in Paris, and Céline Dion was also seen more frequently. It seems that this year could really be a special moment, with great singers. What makes it even more fun is that all the athletes from all the participating countries also join in the parade. They wave awkwardly to the audience, but it’s still nice to see how the big stars arrive there. It’s just the way it is; every sport has one superstar who stands out far above the rest, both within and outside of the sporting events. Someone like that is also Simone Biles.

This woman simply performs at an extraordinary level, as recognized by those who actually understand gymnastics. There are even several moves named after her because she was the first to execute those routines during official competitions. It’s only logical that she sometimes feels pressure to perform, and that’s exactly what the new Netflix docu about Simone is about. In that docu, you see what it was like for her during the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. Due to the immense pressure and distracting circumstances (such as COVID measures, which meant even family wasn’t allowed at competitions), she couldn’t perform at her level and decided to completely withdraw from the competition. She received a lot of criticism for this, and now we get a glimpse into what that was actually like for her and why she made that choice at the time.

We also see her super charming hubby, an American NFL player, whom she met just like ‘normal people’ through an online dating app. He had to admit that he was a bit shocked by her height. Simone turns out to be only 1.42 meters tall. Seriously, I really didn’t expect that with the enormous presence she brings. After watching the docu, I feel incredibly reassured, because even for Simone, it’s not about training hard every day; she only does that when she feels like it. I love that mindset; we should all think about those kinds of obligations in that way more often.