The postponement of the Tokyo Olympic 2020 to 2021 was something that the sporting world was waiting to have confirmed.

But for stars like Simone Biles, the shock of the postponement is still settling in for her. With a carefully planned out schedule been wiped off has left her reeling, even though she understands the importance of COVID-19.

"It's a letdown," Biles told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

"It's hard to keep looking at that like, 'We have another year.'"
When asked if she was still planning on pushing forward for Tokyo 2021, she stopped short of an unqualified yes.

"Well, nothing is really set in stone yet," Biles said. "We're trying to figure out the right training regiment just so mentally and physically we can try and stay on top of our game. We're just playing it by ear and really just listening to my body."

Simone Biles is one of the most respected and decorated sportswomen in the world, and like most athletes, her mind was set on this summers Olympics and the break-in August. The countdown is something most athletes do ahead of big competitions like the Olympics and for Biles, being honest about her emotions of the delay was evident. 

"I was just mentally battling my mind, and I was so ready and not mentally checked out, but I was ready after three months to be done," Biles said. "That's a lot to take mentally."

For someone who has spent the majority of her early years in the gym, a year can seem like a lifetime.

"A year is a lot for elite athletes," she said. "It feels more than a year on your body, trust me. Especially gymnastics, the impact we take. It's your entire body; it's not just your legs or your feet or your arms; we have to make sure your whole body is in check."

The good news about the postponement is that it's allowing her body time to recover from an unforgivable training schedule. The announcement of the Olympics been pushed back left her drained, but the focus for her going forward is to regain the spark and focus that has made her one of the most celebrated women in sports globally and also the world's favourite gymnast.