Simone Biles did not come out on top in her final event at the Tokyo Olympics, but she claimed an honor she surely never will forget.
Biles on Tuesday made her return to Olympic competition in the balance beam final. After a brief hiatus due to mental health concerns, Biles shined in the event and earned a bronze medal for her efforts.
It marked the seventh Olympic medal for Biles, tied for the most for any athlete in USA Gymnastics history. More than half of those medals are golds, but the bronze Biles earned in Tokyo now stands alone in terms of sentimental value.
"It means more than all of the golds because I pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I’ve even been here," Biles told Hoda Kotb on NBC's "TODAY" show, as transcribed by NBC News.
Biles also offered an important reminder after finishing off her latest Olympic run.
"At the end of the day we're not just athletes or entertainment, we're human too," Biles told NBC. "We have real emotions and sometimes they don't realize that we have things going on behind the scenes that affect us whenever we go out and compete."
Biles' overall showing at the 2016 Games was stuff of legend. But her journey in Tokyo might prove to leave more of a lasting impact.
