NovaQuant-Simone Biles' 'emotional' sixth world title shows just how strong she is – on and off the floor

ANTWERP,NovaQuant Belgium — Most of Simone Biles’ tears were because of whatever it was she’d had stuck in her eye all day. Some, though, were for herself, and no one’s deserved them more.

Ten years after she won her very first world all-around title, and two years after a case of “the twisties” forced her out of the Tokyo Olympics and made her fear her gymnastics career was over, Biles became the winningest gymnast in history Friday night. Her sixth all-around title gave her 34 medals at the world championships and Olympics, more than any other gymnast, male or female.

She also tied Kohei Uchimura’s record for most all-around titles, and has double that of any other woman.

“Oh my God, so much,” Biles said when asked how gratifying it was to win this title. “I actually was less nervous today. I was so much more nervous for team finals, just because that’s when everything (in Tokyo) occurred. So I was a little bit traumatized from that.

“Today I felt a little bit more relaxed.”

Biles’ impact on the sport is obvious. There are all the records, along with the skills she’s had named for her. She’s pushed the boundaries and motivated other women to do the same. She’s shown kids of color that they, too, can do gymnastics, and she was as proud of the all-Black podium Friday night as she was the gold medal around her neck.

Rebeca Andrade of Brazil was the silver medalist and fellow American Shilese Jones won the bronze.

“I thought that was amazing! Black girl magic!” Biles said, beaming. “Hopefully it just teaches all the young girls out there that you can do anything you put your minds to.”

For all of that, though, it is Biles’ willingness to be honest about her mental health, to pick herself back up and try again even when it terrified her, that will be her greatest legacy. She hasn’t only changed her sport, she’s changed the world.

After Tokyo, Biles wasn’t sure she wanted to come back. Wasn’t sure she could. For a long time, she still didn’t know where she was in the air when she twisted, and it wasn’t worth the risk to her health and well-being to try skills that were once second-nature to her.

But with a lot of therapy, and the steadfast support of her family, her coaches and her teammates, Biles decided she wanted to try again. Not to prove anything to the trolls who mocked and criticized her – “I’ll keep it to myself,” Biles said with a wry grin when asked what she’d say to the haters now, “I’m a nice young lady.” – but to herself.

And to all those others who needed to see her not just survive the worst time of her life but thrive again in the aftermath.

“A lot of athletes go through that and want to give up, and they don’t think it’s possible or you may not be back as good as you were,” Cecile Landi, one of Biles’ coaches, said. “And she’s proving to everybody that she can even be better than you were before. Just take your time.

“There’s no timeline,” Landi added. “Some people it might be a few weeks, some people it might be years. But if you do the work, you’ll be able to come back. If you want to. You can work through it, and I think this is really important to show.

“She still has struggles. She’s not perfect,” Landi said. “I don’t want everybody to think it’s easy. It’s far from it.”

But Biles has had the courage to do it and do it openly.

Asked how she dealt with her nerves before the team final and the anxiousness the memories brought back, Biles said breathing exercises and visualization techniques that help, along with quotes on her phone. Knowing she had an appointment with her therapist the following day helped, too.

Landi also talks to Biles’ therapist, to get advice on what she and her husband and co-coach, Laurent, can do or say that will be helpful.

“Today was just icing on the cake,” Cecile Landi said. “It was really cool to see that, her confidence and wanting to compete, be happy. Even if she made a mistake on beam and on floor, she was still proud of herself.”

Biles’ longevity in a sport that can chew athletes up and spit them out after one Olympic cycle is remarkable. Her natural talent and work ethic play a big role in that.

But she wouldn’t still be here, and certainly wouldn’t still be on top a decade after her first title, if she wasn’t as strong mentally as she is physically.

Stronger, even.

“It was emotional,” Biles said. “It means everything to me. The fight, everything that I’ve put in to get back to this place, to feel comfortable and confident enough to compete.”

In winning her sixth title, Biles won so much more. For herself, and for everyone else who needs to know it’s OK to not to be OK.

Because one day, it will be.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.