Simone Biles can’t wait to officially put the Tokyo Olympics in the rearview mirror. Three years after she famously withdrew from several finals to safeguard her mental health and safety—a move that continues to receive criticism on her social media accounts—Biles is the star of a familiar-looking US women’s gymnastics team aiming for redemption in Paris.
The 2020 floor exercise champion and gold medalist Jade Carey, 2020 Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles, and 16-year-old rookie Hesley Rivera will compete alongside Biles as the Americans attempt to reclaim the top spot on the Olympic podium, which they lost to Russia and Japan.
Current Olympic champion Sunisa Lee leads the oldest American women’s gymnastics squad to compete in the games. Simone Biles is back for a third attempt to win an Olympic medal.
The 27-year-old Biles has always been unique, with a total of 37 medals from the Olympics and World Championships, making her the most decorated women’s gymnast in history when she arrives in Paris. Following Tokyo, she took a two-year hiatus, during which she prioritized her mental health.
She now sees her therapist weekly, including during competitions, and has moved on with her life. In the spring of 2023, Biles married Chicago Bears defender Jonathan Owens, who was allowed to take a brief leave from training camp to see his wife in Paris. Since then, gymnastics has become something she does rather than something that defines her.
Biles could be better than ever at a time when most gymnasts are merely trying to hang on to their abilities, assuming they haven’t already retired.
She works out on the floor and vault more than any other woman in the world. The native of the Houston region has won four World titles and has even come to like uneven bars, somewhat.
“I’m not being forced to do this,” Biles declared. “I choose to work hard in the gym and come here and perform for myself every day when I wake up, just to remind myself that I can still do it.”
In the last 18 months, there have been times when it appeared doubtful that Lee would return to the games. Her training was restricted by several kidney-related problems, which also caused severe weight fluctuations that were difficult to stabilize. The 21-year-old said she considered giving up on a few occasions.
She defeated Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade in a nail-biting all-around final in Tokyo to become the sixth consecutive American woman to win the Olympic gold.
Lee recovered her form and confidence in time for Paris, in part due to her support system, which included her long-standing personal coach Jess Graba and USA Gymnastics team doctor Marcia Faustin.
On uneven bars, where her complex routine is full of challenges, Lee is still a marvel. She has also developed a fondness for the balance beam, a nerve-wracking exercise that showcases her artistic abilities. “I truly want a beam gold,” Lee declared. “I feel like I always make it to the final, but I always mess up, so it’s still annoying. I need a beam gold.”
Teenagers who would compete in the games, take home a few medals, and then give way to the next generation of athletes have propelled the American women’s Olympic program for many years.
Those are distant memories, though. Biles’ exceptional longevity makes her stand out. She will travel to Paris as the oldest female member of the American team since the 1950s. She is by no means the lone 20-something taking the court at Bercy Arena later this month.
Recent changes to the laws governing name, image, and likeness of collegiate athletes have made it possible for Lee, age 21, Chiles, age 23, and Carey, age 24, to continue their training and competition at the NCAA level while earning money from their Olympic achievements.
The champions who came before them, such as Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin, and Gabby Douglas, were not granted this privilege and were forced to choose between retaining their amateur status and taking endorsements.
Lee (Auburn), Chiles (UCLA), and Carey (Oregon State) disrupted the conventional notion of what an Olympic squad from the United States should look like and contributed to a surge in interest in collegiate gymnastics.
Aly Raisman, her 2016 Olympic colleague, was dubbed “Grandma” eight years ago in Rio de Janeiro when Raisman was just 22 years old. Biles quipped that Raisman should accept her apology with a giggle, remarking, “I’m way older now, and everyone else is too.” Almost everyone, that is.
Hesley Rivera is among the group—a 16-year-old from northern New Jersey named Rivera, who is an Olympic novice and seemed comfortable competing against the ladies she looked up to growing up. At the US trials, Rivera proved she could handle the pressure and won her berth.
She tied for first on the beam, placed fourth on the uneven bars, and finished fifth overall, barely ahead of alternates Jocelyn Robertson and Leah Smith. Rivera pulled it off without even being fazed by the platform.
Before Sunday’s finals, Rivera was asked whether she was anxious by Alicia Sacramone Quinn, one of the co-leaders of the US women’s elite program.
In the coming weeks, Biles and company will be getting ready for the Olympics, which start on July 26th, with opening ceremonies on July 28th.
Qualifying for the women’s gymnastics competition will take place. Due to Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine, the reigning champion is unable to compete, hence the Americans are predicted to easily advance to the team finals on July 30th and be the overwhelming favorites to take first place.
Who advances to the all-around and event finals will probably be the big story for the United States. Regardless of their score, nations are only allowed to enter two athletes in each individual competition under International Gymnastics Federation regulations—a restriction that has previously cost stars like Douglas (2016) and 2011 world champion Jordyn Wieber (2012) berths in the all-around finals.
But the treasure that was escaped in Tokyo is the center of attention. Lee remarked, “I think that we really want a team gold. This team is essentially the same as 2020, thus it resembles a redemption trip.” Biles became just the fourth female gymnast in American history to qualify for three Olympic teams when she locked up her berth on the women’s gymnastics squad on Sunday, June 30th, at the end of the US Olympic trials in Minneapolis.
She now counts Muriel Grossfeld, Linda Metheny, and Dominique Dawes among her contemporaries. Gold medalist Dawes said to People, “It’ll be wonderful to see her outshine what I had done many decades ago.
She most certainly deserves it. She will undoubtedly win an individual medal in addition to helping the team win a medal. I know I keep saying this, but I could even see her training in Los Angeles for the 2028 games. Dawes said she really is talented.”
After the difficulties, Biles credited trusting the process and her weekly Thursday therapy sessions for her achievement. She remarked, “I knew I’d be back.”
For the 27-year-old gymnast, the trip to Paris has been both rewarding and difficult. Biles withdrew from four final events in the Tokyo games in 2021 but still managed to win a bronze in the balance beam.
She gave two reasons for her withdrawal: the beginning of “twisties,” a disorder that causes gymnasts to lose their sense of spatial awareness, and mental health issues.
After making unexpected mistakes in the qualifying round, Biles addressed supporters at the Tokyo games, “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times.”
Biles participated in the US Classic again in 2023 and took home the gold in the all-around category at both the World and US National Championships in 2023.
She carried on her winning run, winning the gold medal in the National Gymnastics competition in 2024. Biles has openly expressed how her position in gymnastics is changing.
The four-part docu-series “Simone Biles: Rising,” which will debut on July 17, just before the 2024 Olympics, has a trailer that posted on June 19. Her choice to withdraw from the Tokyo contest and her road toward mental wellness in the lead-up to the Paris games are both explored in the series.
Behind-the-scenes videos of her 2023 contests and private moments with her spouse, NFL safety Jonathan Owens, are all shown. Biles became just the fourth female gymnast in American history to qualify for three Olympic teams when she locked up her berth on the women’s gymnastics squad on Sunday, June 30, at the end of the US Olympic trials in Minneapolis.
