In a show of defiance and resilience in a sport that has long demanded obedience from its young athletes, Biles is the only Nassar survivor, at least the only one who has come forward publicly, who will compete in Tokyo.
No longer just a sweetheart, she has joined top Black female athletes like Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams in flexing her influence in sports and society. Yet she has managed to set aside those feelings and harness the newfound power of an independent Black woman who knows her worth and answers to no one.
She has said she feels betrayed, and that makes the initial trauma even worse.
