Simone Biles: Rising – an 'elegantly paced and vulnerable' portrait of the gymnast

Simone Biles in a scene from Netflix documentary Simone Biles: Rising.

Viewers are given 'extraordinary access' to the athlete through behind-the-scenes footage

(Image credit: Netflix)

published 24 July 2024

If you only watch "Simone Biles: Rising" to "marvel" at the sheer talent of one of the planet's greatest gymnasts, it would be "a couple of hours well spent", said Rebecca Nicholson in The Guardian. But there is far more to the athlete than her "legendary physical prowess".

The first half of the four-part documentary has been released on Netflix just before Biles makes her hotly anticipated return to the Olympics in Paris, with the second half set to drop after the games.

It's been nearly four years since the decorated gymnast sent shockwaves through the sporting world when she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics early, citing mental health struggles. Biles had been suffering from a case of the "twisties" – a phenomenon that causes gymnasts to lose their sense of space and dimension when they're in the air, which can lead them to lose control of their bodies.

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"Simone Biles: Rising" delves into what happened in Tokyo, the intense scrutiny faced by athletes in elite sports and Biles' decision to return to the Olympic stage. Directed by Katie Walsh, the series grants viewers "extraordinary access" to the athlete through behind-the-scenes footage of Biles with her husband, family and friends.

The docuseries gives an "elegantly paced and vulnerable" account of Biles' story, said Aramide Tinubu in Variety, and is "mesmerising" to watch. Episode one highlights the relentless misogynoir that Black female athletes are subject to and examines the backlash Biles faced following her withdrawal from the Olympics, largely from middle-aged men "berating" her for deciding to put her health first.

Going way beyond the "obviously riveting comeback story", "Simone Biles: Rising" explores "what makes an extraordinarily gifted person an ordinary person", said Robert Lloyd in the Los Angeles Times. Walsh sketches a picture of a "self-possessed, forthright, good-humoured young woman" who is not only a teammate, but also a sister, newlywed and friend.

The documentary follows Biles' journey as she gradually begins to find joy again in a sport she once loved so much. Her return to the Olympics is set up "beautifully", said The Guardian, and gives cautious hope that while progress is slow, gymnastics is starting to change. "Perhaps it is becoming kinder – and more human."

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Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.