four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone biles former US Open champ Naomi Osaka and track and field star shakeri Richardson are at Center Stage for the 2024 Paris Olympics these black women at the height of their careers have been vocal about mental health public critique and other personal struggles Osaka stepped away from tennis to prioritize mental health and give birth to her daughter biles withdrew from several events at the Tokyo games to focus on her well-being after what she described as feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders Richardson was expected to be a breakout star in Tokyo before a positive test for marijuana at the 2021 Olympic trials when these women compete in Paris it’ll represent more than high stakes competition these Olympic Games will represent a comeback story for black women Osaka biles and Richardson have all bounced back to the world’s biggest stage while displaying different levels of vulnerability their stories different yet similar give viewers a unique image of black women