Olympic gymnast Simone Biles takes center stage in the new Netflix docuseries “Simone Biles Rising.”
The four-part series (the first two come out Wednesday) follows Biles, 27, as she prepares for the upcoming Paris Olympics. The gold medalist also reflects on her performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – which she withdrew from before the finals to focus on her mental health – and her personal life, including her relationship with her NFL player husband, Jonathan Owens, 28, whom she married last year.
“She’s a human being. And I think sometimes that almost gets forgotten when you see how wonderful she is as an athlete,” director Katie Walsh exclusively told The Post. “She is so dominant and so strong and so capable. You come to expect nothing but that level of greatness at all times.”
“The reality is that, yes, those things can be true. You can be great and dominant and the best at your sport. You can also be a human being who has good days and bad days, has their own struggles,” she went on. “Whether they’re emotional or mental struggles, that’s part of life. I think when you see Simone as a full human, then it only makes what she does on that gymnastics floor that much more impressive.”
Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history, with a total of 37 Olympic and World Championship medals.
Her husband faced backlash last year for his controversial comments during an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast,” where he called himself the “catch” in their relationship and admitted that he didn’t know who she was when they started dating.
“I think, like so many times, especially in social media, you choose one sentence and then highlight that one sentence. And it’s not indicative of an entire relationship or an entire person,” Walsh said about Owens’ curt remarks.
“I hope that in this film, you get a chance to see more sides of him and them together, and it gives you a better understanding of the true relationship and the support that they provide each other and the love they have for each other.”
The documentary features scenes of Biles attending her husband’s games and moving into their house.
“I love seeing them together. They’re so cute together. They’re so fun. They joke with each other. And they look at each other with that genuine love,” said Walsh.
About the pressure that Biles faces going into the Olympics this month, Walsh said, “She’s learned how to manage those expectations a little better, because there are a lot of expectations on her. And It’s not like we’re going to just stop paying attention … So she’s going to be part of the conversation. But she has the tools in her toolbelt now to work with those feelings, to manage those expectations — hopefully a way that allows her to do her best amidst all of that.”
Walsh and her crew will follow Biles to Paris and document her experience for the final two episodes of “Simone Biles Rising,” which will premiere at an unannounced date on Netflix.
“This project continues. We don’t know the ending yet. Which is a pretty unique position to be in where you’re talking about the film, but it’s only halfway done and we have a whole experience ahead of us,” Walsh said.
“We have this amazing access to be with her and experience the Olympics through her eyes. So I’m really excited about it.”
