Simone Biles hit yet another impressive flip while throwing the first pitch for the World Series.
Believe it or not, the greatest gymnast of all time was nervous before she threw the ball for Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday.
“Gymnastics is the only sport I’ve ever done, so when it comes to anything else, I’m literally terrified,” she told NBC Sports before the game. “So I get more nervous doing this stuff than competing, which is really weird. So, yeah, hopefully I don’t end up on celebrity fails.”
She had nothing to worry about because she did just fine and then some. Biles wore an orange Houston Astros jersey in support of her home team, who was playing the Washington Nationals. Before the throw, she hit a twisting back flip.
Flip. Twist. Throw.@Simone_Biles | #WorldSeries
pic.twitter.com/huzwJFHvv1— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 24, 2019
Take It Back pic.twitter.com/IRLf2BpBUr
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 24, 2019
The move drew cheers from the crowd and social media praise.
.@Simone_Biles is real life superhero living among us. pic.twitter.com/nSCg5gmJq1
— Kate Waters (@K8_Waters) October 24, 2019
I can’t believe the Houston player had Simone Biles standing in front of him, with a pen in hand, and didn’t ask for *her* autograph.https://t.co/WmcsUFVeqR
— James Urquhart (@jamesurquhart) October 24, 2019
#SimoneBiles is absolutely amazing, one of a kind that's for sure ????❤️✨#BlackExcellence at its best. https://t.co/EInKocoHwH
— Alicia Stone (@Alicia_Stone_) October 24, 2019
#BGM
#BlackGirlMagic
@SimoneBiles she dope dope. Hit tht bih on the mound. No running none of tht https://t.co/ZWO9ew1dV5— PopFromThaBlock660 (@DezidEgle) October 24, 2019
#SimoneBiles is just flat out effortless #BlackGirlMagic! Who else could do this in a baseball diamond and not even break a sweat? ????????♀️????????pic.twitter.com/spl2gJJO1P
— BlackWomenViews (@blackwomenviews) October 24, 2019
This is the second time Biles has done an opening pitch — the first was in July 2016. A lot has happened since then, including several broken records and two moves named in her honor.
“It’s definitely different than a couple of years ago,” Biles told The Undefeated. “Everywhere I go, someone notices me or recognizes me, so it’s a little bit harder to go out and about by myself, but obviously I’m still a normal person. So I don’t have security or anything following me anywhere I go.”
Not to mention, the hating ass International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) won’t give her proper credit for her achievements. Nonetheless, she’s persisting.
“It’s a little bit disappointing just because we’ve worked so hard on that move and I think a lot of people at World Championships came out to see that move,” Biles said. “But then, the value it was given we didn’t think was enough. So it’s not even worth trying, because there is a danger in doing it. So it’s a little bit disappointing. So it got named after me, so at least it’s in the books forever.”
Thankfully, she has a strong support system around her. Several of her girlfriends and other loved ones wore Biles jerseys to the baseball game to support the Olympian.
“The dynamic is amazing. They’ve been through it all since the beginning, so it’s a learning process for all of us, not just me,” she said. “So if we ever want to go to a function, obviously that’s when I need a little bit of help or security. But we’ve gone through it together and I think it’s helped a lot.”