Simone Biles’ ex-coach, Cecile Landi, shared the story of how she and her husband, Laurent Landi, felt when the former Vice President of USA Gymnastics approached them to coach the most decorated gymnast. Biles was under Landi’s tutelage till the 2024 Paris Olympics, and before the latter shifted to the University of Georgia.
Aimee Boorman coached Biles since she was eight and guided her through to the 2016 Rio Olympics, helping her in her initial rise to fame.
Cecile Landi Recalls the Time She Was Approached for Coaching Simone Biles
Landi and her husband began coaching together at the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy before moving to Texas to train at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA), one of the most renowned facilities, in operation since 1994.
They personally coached several elite gymnasts, including Madison Kocian, Alyssa Baumann, Briley Casanova, and others.
They also planned to buy a gym in Arizona, largely because Landi’s husband wanted the freedom to enjoy his beloved golf. However, things took a turn when Rhonda Faehn, the former Vice President of USAG, approached them to take up Biles’ coaching duties.
Sharing details about the encounter on The Line with Dr. Kristen Holmes podcast, the French former gymnast spoke about how the seven-time Olympic gold medalist received feedback from their former tutees.
She also revealed that the idea of helping Biles at the global level initially intimidated them, as the latter had nothing left to achieve, only consistency to maintain, with the risk of going backward.
She said: “We looked at each other, and my husband was like, ‘We’re Coaching Simone Biles?’ Okay. It is scary because she’s won everything. Yeah. So, in a way, you’re like, you can only go down from here. Like, it’s really hard to do better.”
Landi left World Champions Center after the Paris Games and was appointed as the co-head coach of the University of Georgia’s gymnastics team.
Biles’ Ex-Coach Talked about the Tokyo Olympic Criticisms
Biles headed to the Tokyo Olympics as the reigning all-around, vault, and floor champion. Despite being a heavy favorite to win five gold medals, she faltered on the Amanar vault during team warm-ups and faced similar complications in every event she participated in that edition of the Games.
The 28-year-old later revealed that she had suffered from the “twisties,” a mental block that causes athletes to lose their spatial awareness. Reflecting on the criticisms Biles faced after she withdrew midway through the events, Landi said that she could have been paralyzed, or even dead, had she continued with her routines.
She also recalled the 30-time World medalist looking different and lost in her eyes, unusual for someone of such stature. Biles reclaimed her top spot in the Paris Games, winning the all-around and vault titles and helping the US women’s team secure a gold finish.
