Simone Biles Sweeps 2018 National Championship, Honors Nassar Survivors

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles honored the Larry Nassar survivors while sweeping the 2018 National Championships.

Biles took gold in five categories: vault, balance beam, uneven bars, floor exercises, and all-around. It was the first time in 24 years a women’s gymnast swept all 5.

Biles’ performance definitely wowed the gymnastics world, but her leotard resonated just as loudly as her talent. The teal-colored leotard was an unspoken gesture of support for fellow survivors of abuse by former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, as teal is the color of sexual assault awareness.

She acknowledged the leotard’s meaning to the press after the event, stating, “I picked it out in January. But it is for the survivors, and I stand with all of them.”

Nassar is currently serving a 100-year prison sentence for assaulting hundreds of young girls over multiple decades. Biles shared her own story of abuse at the hands of Nassar in a January 2018 statement on her social media accounts.

“I am not afraid to tell me story anymore…” she stated. “No, it was not my fault. No, I will not and should not carry the guilt that belongs to Larry Nassar, USAG, and others.”

It was only Biles’ second competition since the 2016 Summer Olympics but she clearly hasn’t lost a step from her gold medal-winning performance in Rio.