Simone Biles gives powerful, emotional testimony on FBI's Larry Nassar investigation
Simone Biles testified in front of Congress on Wednesday (along with Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols) about the comprehensive failures of the FBI's investigation into Larry Nassar, the former Team USA doctor who sexually abused hundreds of girls and women under the guise of treatment.
Biles, six weeks removed from the Tokyo Olympics, gave powerful, personal testimony about being failed, ignored, and brushed aside by the institutions that were supposed to protect her and many others from Nassar's abuse. Biles was admirably composed while talking about such horrific trauma, but got emotional when she spoke about why she felt compelled to testify.
Simone Biles chokes up in testimony about FBI's Nassar investigation: "I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee knew that I was abused by their official team doctor" pic.twitter.com/JTIviU4Yjq
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 15, 2021
Biles has been through a lot over the past several years. She publicly admitted that she was abused by Nassar. COVID-19 delayed the Tokyo Olympics and derailed her practice schedule. At the Olympics, she had a bout of the "twisties," which led her to pull out of most of the events. Following that, she continued a public conversation about athletes' mental health.
It's another sign of her incredible bravery and strength that she was able to testify in front of Congress about some of the worst things that have happened to her, and do it with such composure.