After reminding us all why she’s still the GOAT at the Paris Olympics, reporters and fans alike keep asking the same question: is Simone Biles retiring? We’re getting into everything she’s said about her plans for the future up ahead—including the latest message the gymnast had for everyone wondering “what’s next?”
In case you missed her events, just know that Paris has seen Biles in top form. She snagged gold medals in the team and individual all-around competitions and went on to crush it again in the women’s vault final. After a challenging 2020 Games where she showed immense courage in walking away to prioritize her mental health, it’s clear Biles brought her all to the mat for her comeback at the 2024 games. But that hasn’t stopped folks from wondering if she can—and plans—to do it all again in four years.
Taking to social media after bringing home gold for her vault performance, Biles gently reminded reporters and fans to cool their jets with all the questions about her future in the sport. “You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics,” she wrote on X.
In a follow-up post, Biles urged us all to “let us soak up the moment” when it comes to celebrating athletes’ achievements in Paris. And you know what? She’s got a point. Biles has more than earned the right to bask in her glory!
But is Simone Biles retiring?
Image: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images.
Here’s the deal: Biles is definitely keeping her cards close to her chest when it comes to retirement. When the Associated Press tried to get the scoop on her plans for the 2028 Olympics a few months before Paris, Biles didn’t rule it out… but she also didn’t confirm anything.
“I would never say never and I think that would be amazing to (do this) after every Olympic cycle,” Biles said, referring to her post-Olympics Gold Over America Tour. “I think that would be a beautiful thing. But right now I can’t tell you yes or no. Like no definitive answers because I don’t know what life will look like in the next few years to come.”
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Rebeca Andrade, Biles’ friendly rival, may have hinted at the gymnast’s retirement in a July 2024 interview with The Washington Post. According to Andrade, Biles had privately “confided that Paris would be her final competition,” the Post writes. Andrade’s response? “I said, ‘No, girl, don’t do this.’”
Since Andrade’s interview, Biles has continued to keep reporters guessing. After wowing fans at the 2024 Olympic vault event final on August 3, she echoed her earlier comments to the Associated Press. “Never say never,” she said. “The next Olympics are at home, so you just never know. But I am getting really old.” While 27 is decidedly not old in the real world, it is on the older side for a gymnast—so we get where she’s coming from.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Is Simone Biles retiring? The honest answer is… we don’t know, and maybe she doesn’t yet either. What we do know is that this superstar has rewritten the gymnastics rulebook, broken records, and inspired millions. So whatever she decides, one thing’s for sure—Simone Biles has nothing left to prove.
Team USA gymnast Suni Lee won bronze in the uneven bars final at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris on Sunday, closing out the event with a strong finish that prompted roaring cheers from an audience that included fellow star athlete Simone Biles as she landed her dismount.
Lee was the only American who participated in the final that allowed only eight gymnasts to compete after Biles placed ninth in the qualification round.
The uneven bars are Lee’s signature skill. Her performance in Sunday’s event scored an impressive 14.800 from the judging panel, earning third place behind 17-year-old Kaylia Nemour of Algeria, who ended qualifiers with top marks and fulfilled expectations as the favorite to win in the final, and 17-year-old Qui Qiyan of China, who was world champion on uneven bars in 2023.
Nemour took home the gold after her routine scored a remarkable 15.700, while Qui took home silver with 15.000.
This is a breaking story and will be updated with more details.
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
There’s no question that it takes nearly divine athletic ability to become an Olympian, never mind a gold medal winner, too. No matter the sport, your body is challenged to do things faster, stronger, more aggressively and more precisely than anyone else in the world can do. But achieving that athletic glory can’t happen without your mind being in the right place, too.
There’s no question that it takes nearly divine athletic ability to become an Olympian, never mind a gold medal winner, too. No matter the sport, your body is challengedto do things faster, stronger, more aggressively and more precisely than anyone else in the world can do.
But achieving that athletic glory can’t happen without your mind being in the right place, too.
Tiara Fennell — a professor, therapist and clinic director for the Center for Healthy Families at the University of Maryland (UMD) — says you only need to look back to 2021 for a prime example, when gymnast Simone Biles had to take a break during the Tokyo Olympics to get her mind right.
“To see her acknowledge her mental health and really do the work to improve, we are now seeing the results of that,” Fennell said.
Performing in Olympic competitions, or any major athletic event, requires one’s body to not just be in elite condition, but in perfect motion when it’s time to perform. And Fennell said it all starts in your head.
“It’s not just what you put into your body, but it’s also how you’re feeding your soul, how you’re feeding your mind, what kind of information you’re taking in,” she said.
Even if you’re not a star athlete or a famous celebrity, what you do for work or in life still has an important impact on others — even if millions of people around the world aren’t watching you on TV. That makes it important to block out the negative and unnecessary comments or triggers.
“It’s very easy for outside, and sometimes inside, voices and thoughts and opinions to come in and shake your confidence and tell you that you’re not able to do something that maybe you’ve been able to do before,” Fennell said. “It’s very unproductive and, I think, can lead to a very slippery slope, when you start to take in all of these external things, and internalize them and make them about who you are.”
For many athletes, that can mean staying off social media, where other people’s opinions can run the spectrum, reinforcing things in your mind that might not necessarily be true.
“It is important to have folks who can recognize and help you remember who you are, what you’ve been able to do, what you’re capable of,” Fennell said.
Her hope is that the way Biles has been so open about her mental health struggles and how they impacted her will continue to be a turning point in the athletic world.
Mental health is also something that the football coaches at UMD have stressed in ways that haven’t always been common for athletes.
Earlier this spring, head coach Mike Locksley held a mental health symposium at the team’s facility, and the event featured a sports psychologist, counselor, psychiatrist, as well as a pastor. He also helped champion a law that was signed this year in Maryland that requires that all public high school and collegiate coaches in the state receive training to recognize indicators of mental illness and distress in students.
In addition, the U.S. Olympic program draws heavily from college athletes around the country, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among college athletes.
For Fennell, the fact that society is becoming less dismissive about the importance of mental health is encouraging.
Referring again to the struggles Biles had in 2021, which led her to not compete in some events, Fennell argued, “All of the things that went into that, the guilt, the shame, the frustration, the sadness. … Had she not had the right people in her corner, had she not been able to advocate for herself and to really take the time to invest in her mental health, I’m confident that we would not be seeing the type of performance we’re seeing now.”
“So that really gives me a lot of hope and encouragement as a proponent of mental health,” Fennell said.
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Simone Biles‘ childhood is certainly no secret. The decorated gymnast was taken in by her grandparents at age three due to her mother’s battle with alcoholism, and while Nellie and Ronald are Mom and Dad to Biles, you do have to wonder where her biological mom is now and if they see each other at all.
In a 2016 interview with the Daily Mail, Shanon Biles described what happened after the adoption papers were signed. “When we signed the [adoption] papers, it was like my dad flipped a switch on me – no communication, don’t call, and don’t visit. That’s how it was at the beginning,” she said.
“It took me six years before I saw my children again. I was respecting my Dad to let the kids transition, he felt that was the best thing for them.” It was hard to give up my kids but I had to do what I had to, I wasn’t able to care for them.”
She added, “I was still using and he didn’t want me coming in and out of their lives when I wasn’t right. I was hard-headed, I didn’t care, screaming, ‘I want to see my kids, why you doing this to me?’ I didn’t understand it at the time but years later, I understood why. I had to deal with me first.”
Where is Simone Biles’ biological mom now?
Shanon Biles isn’t really in the public eye, but it’s believed she lives in Columbus, Ohio. Court records show that she’s had her share of legal woes in the past, ranging from speeding tickets to being on probation for assault, the last of which was in 2021.
In the 2016 interview with the Daily Mail, Shanon explained how often she speaks to her daughter. “When I talk to Simone, it’s a brief conversation, like, ‘I miss you, I love you, I can’t wait to see you, I’m proud of you, I’m watching. You go girl,’” she said. “It’s never anything personal. I want to tell her what really happened when I was younger, but I keep on waiting for the right time.”
She added that she would have loved to see her daughter at the Rio Olympics. “I couldn’t afford it and it’s a lot of pressure for her,” she said. “You always have a bond with your child but with us not growing up together, I don’t want to make her nervous, get her out of character. I’m just here, yelling, “Go Simone!” at the TV.”
In an April 2024 interview with the Call Her Daddy podcast, Biles explained the nature of her family dynamics and how grateful she is for them. She also said that she doesn’t feel the need to explain the nature of their relationship to anyone.
“That’s also crazy explaining to people because I’m like, ‘My biological mom is also my dad’s daughter, and I call him Dad,’” she explained. “So it’s just like, everybody’s hella confused … It’s a whole family tree that you’re like, ‘Don’t make me explain it. My parents are my parents. I got chosen. Feeling blessed.’”
On Thursday, Simone Biles made history as the first US gymnast to win two individual all-around gold medals, two days after leading the women of Team USA to a gold in the team finals at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Biles may be the GOAT in the gymnastics arena, but she is also very talented at the fine art of social media trolling. In a social media post on Friday morning, she made an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s untrue claim that migrants are a threat to Black American employment. “I love my black job,” she said, with a black heart emoji.
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In the weeks after Trump shared a talking point that “millions of people that [President Joe Biden] allowed to come in through the border” are coming for “Black jobs,” social media users took offense to the implication that African Americans are only qualified for menial, insecure employment. In response, they started to use the phrase to celebrate the breadth of jobs that Black people actually hold and succeed at. So it was only natural that Biles would join in when singer and social media personality Ricky Davila shared a couple pictures of Biles showing off her gold medal and crystal goat necklace with the caption, “Simone Biles being the GOAT, winning Gold medals and dominating gymnastics is her black job.”
In the recent Netflix docuseries Simone Biles Rising, the gymnast said that her struggles in 2021 at the Tokyo Summer Olympics left her feeling like she had something to prove. At the time, attacking Biles for being public about her struggles with mental health became a cause célèbre on the right wing, and vice presidential nominee JD Vanceeven got involved.
But in recent weeks, Biles has also appeared to target criticism from inside the gymnastics world about the sport’s turn toward supporting athletes, following a sex abuse scandal and reforms sweeping excessively harsh coaches out of the country’s gyms. After winning the team gold medal with Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, Biles posted a group photo to Instagram with the caption “lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions.”
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It may have been a reference to recent comments by MyKayla Skinner, a teammate from the Tokyo Games. In a since-deleted video on her YouTube account, Skinner said that the SafeSport reforms had made the sport worse. “I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be. I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic,” she said. “Coaches can’t get on athletes, and they have to be really careful what they say.” In a subsequent apology, Skinner said the comments reflected her own experiences under disgraced former coach Márta Károlyi. “I am coming to terms that I have not fully dealt with the emotional and verbal abuse I endured under Marta that perhaps led to my hurtful comments,” she wrote. “I take full responsibility for what I said and I deeply apologize.” (Károlyi has denied claims of abuse, but has conceded that the training environment was “intense.”) Despite the comments, the damage had already been done. After Biles made her post, Skinner reportedly blocked her on Instagram.
Simone Biles is the GOAT, and she has a new gold medaland a special diamond accessory to prove it. After winning the individual all-around final for women’s gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics today, Biles—who now has more Olympic medals than any other U.S. gymnast in history—proudly showed off her prize while rocking a goat pendant necklace.
As she posed alongside silver medal winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and bronze medal winner Suni Lee from Team USA, the sparkler shimmered against camera flashes. The piece was made custom by Janet Heller Fine Jewelry and features a whopping 546 diamonds. Heller took to Instagram earlier this week to show off the design, writing, “In the realm of gymnastics, few names resonate as profoundly as Simone Biles. As she graces the Paris 2024 Olympics, her journey is not just one of medals and records, but of breaking barriers and redefining the sport. To commemorate her remarkable achievements and undeniable legacy, Simone Biles commissioned these exquisite pieces from Janet Heller Fine Jewelry.”
Heller broke down the details of the pendant, explaining that the “three-dimensional masterpiece embodies [Biles’] unparalleled status in gymnastics.” The gem was “crafted with meticulous precision” and “reflects her dedication, perseverance, and the spirit that has inspired generations,” the jeweler added.
Biles and Lee had us feeling proud to be American when they solidified their top winning spots with strong floor routines. Their victories came after they already won gold during the women’s gymnastics team event on Tuesday, which saw them compete with Team USA’s Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera.
After the big moment, Biles gushed over her team’s win via Instagram with an iconically shady caption. “Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇,” Biles wrote, taking aim at former teammate McKayla Skinner, who dissed the team in a since-deleted YouTube video.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be. I just notice, like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard,” Skinner said. She previously expressed regret over her comments, stating, “It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or take away from their hard work,” on July 6, but it’s clear the damage was already done.
In an Instagram story, NFL player Jonathan Owens posted a picture of the gymnast sitting near the medal podium in a focused stance and simply wrote “Warrior” in the tribute.
The post comes after Simone became the most decorated American gymnast in history with her fifth gold medal win and eighth medal overall, overtaking Shannon Miller’s record.
You may also likeSimone Biles: The Gymnastics Icon With Eyes On Olympic Glory
The 27-year-old shared the win with her teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, in the women’s Artistic Gymnastics team event, where the athletes scored an incredible 171.296 points.
Jonathan has been Simone’s biggest supporter at the Paris Olympics, which marked her stunning return after pulling out of five events in the Tokyo Olympics thanks to the ‘twisties’, a name given to the mental block gymnasts experience that causes them to lose awareness of their body when they are in the air.
The phenomenon is particularly dangerous as it can make gymnasts feel as if they have lost control of their body; it can also lead to severe injuries if not addressed.
The NFL star called his wife a “warrior” after her historic win
Jonathan was seated and cheering for his wife at the event, dressed in a custom Simone Biles t-shirt to show his support. His outfit was a nod to the shirt Simone often sported at his Chicago Bears games during the season that bore his name and likeness.
He posted a photo with Simone’s gold medal around his neck while hugging her, captioning it, “Witnessing history every time you step on the mat – Congrats baby on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!! Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!!! So thankful I was there to see it.”
Jonathan congratulated his wife in an Instagram post on Wednesday
Simone jumped to the comments to gush about her husband, writing, “means the world you’re here…my whole heart. I love you”.
Celebrities also commented on the adorable couple, with Khloe Kardashian posting the applause emoji, and rapper Flavor Flav (who is sponsoring the US Women’s Water Polo team at the Olympics) wrote, “Everyone luvs a supportive KING” followed by the crown and applause emojis.
Jonathan joined Simone’s parents Nellie and Ronald Biles at the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final
Some fans of the world-class gymnast were confused as to why Jonathan was wearing her medal, with one writing, “You do realize that is not your medal…right?” and another commenting, “That’s Simone’s gold medal you’re holding, not yours, my guy.“
This comes after Jonathan drew criticism for his comments in an interview with The Pivot podcast in December 2023, where he admitted he had never heard of Simone before matching on elite dating app Raya.
“I had never really paid attention to gymnastics, so [her profile] piqued my curiosity,“ he said on the podcast. As soon as the pair met in person, they knew it was something more, said Jonathan. “We hung out, man; it was like we hit it off instantly. You know, we just laughed the whole night.”
Simone, who also appeared on the podcast, remained “unbothered“ by the criticism that Jonathan drew after admitting he hadn’t heard of perhaps the greatest gymnast in history. “Just know we locked in over here,“she wrote in an Instagram caption after reposting their wedding pictures.
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Jordan Chiles, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the women’s artistic gymnastics team finals round at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. Again.
The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena on Tuesday night.
With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport, and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
The outcome — the Americans on top with the rest of the world looking up — was not in doubt from the moment Jordan Chiles began the night by drilling her double-twisting Yurchenko vault.
By the time Biles, the left calf that bothered her during qualifying heavily taped, stepped onto the floor for the final event — a floor exercise set to music by Taylor Swift and Beyonce — her fifth Olympic gold medal was well in hand.
The 27-year-old provided the exclamation point anyway, sealing the Americans’ third gold in its last four trips to the Games.
The Americans remain peerless (if not flawless, this is gymnastics after all) when at their best.
And over two hours in front of a crowd that included everyone from tennis great Serena Williams and actor Natalie Portman to Biles’ husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles left little doubt about anything.
Her status as the sport’s greatest of all time. Her ability to move past the “twisties” that derailed her in Tokyo. Her spot in the pantheon of the U.S. Olympic movement.
Three years after removing herself from the same competition to protect herself — a decision that changed the conversation around mental health in sports — Biles pushed her medal total in major competition to a staggering 38 and counting.
Yet her return to the Games wasn’t so much about winning. It was about a joy she had lost somewhere along the way.
It seems to have returned. She leaned into the crowd that roared at every flip, every leap and, yes, every twist. With her husband — on break from NFL training camp — waving an American flag while sitting next to her parents, Biles did what she has done so well for so long save for a couple of difficult days in Japan during a pandemic: she dominated.
Yet the 27-year-old hardly did it alone. Lee and Chiles were on the team that earned silver in Tokyo with Biles watching from the sideline. They navigated a series of setbacks both physical and personal to return to this moment and get the gold they so badly wanted.
And there they were on the biggest stage, Chiles doing all four rotations right next to her good friend Biles while doubling as the U.S.’s hype woman. Lee mixing her elegance with grit while dazzling on beam and uneven bars, her two best events.
Carey won the floor exercise in Tokyo, but did it with an asterisk of sorts. She’s earned her way in through a nominative process the sport’s governing body has since abandoned. She was with Team USA in Tokyo but not actually part of the official four-woman squad.
She vowed to write a different ending this time, and the Cheng vault she did on the first rotation scored a 14.800 — second only to Biles — to give the U.S. a commanding lead before Biles even saluted the judges.
The only real drama centered on who would finish next to the Americans on the medal stand.
Italy, which was a surprising second to the U.S. during qualifying, earned its first Olympic team medal since 1928 by holding off Brazil, which took bronze for its first medal in the biggest event in the sport.
It’s no secret the United States women’s gymnastics team wants to stand atop the medal podium once again. The team themselves coined the 2024 Paris Olympics their “redemption tour.”
Redemption can come in many ways, but it starts for Team USA in the team final.
Three years ago in Tokyo, Simone Biles withdrew from the competition with the “twisties” – a phenomenon where a gymnast experiences a disconnect between their mind and body and gets lost in the air.
Biles opened up about her Tokyo experience on the Call Her Daddy podcast, where she equated the “twisties” to forgetting how to drive a car you’ve driven every day.
“It’s terrifying because … I am my car,” Biles said.
Back in Tokyo, the American team, which was favored to win gold, ended up going home with the silver behind the Russian Olympic Committee. The Olympic team gold medal streak that began in 2012 had been officially broken.
Many assumed Tokyo would be Biles’ final Games, but after a two-year break from the sport, Biles is back and better than ever.
She’s now 27 years old, married to Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, and is placing her mental health at the forefront.
“I have to take care of myself a little bit more, and listen to my body and make sure that I’m making time for the important things in my life,” Biles said. “Whereas before it was all ‘Go, go, go,’ (and) making time after.”
Biles comes to Paris with two of her teammates from Tokyo – defending Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee and her Texas training mate Jordan Chiles.
Jade Carey, who competed in Tokyo as an individual, also returns. Those four are joined by Hezly Rivera, who at age 16 is the youngest member of the U.S. delegation across any sport.
Once the U.S. team was pieced together following the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the words “redemption tour” quickly emerged.
“This is definitely our redemption tour,” Biles said. “I feel like we all have more to give and our Tokyo performances weren’t the best. We weren’t under the best circumstances either … But for us I know we’re stronger than what we showed in Tokyo.”
The first stop on the “redemption tour” was the qualification day, where the U.S. qualified to the team final with a commanding lead of over five points. However, the competition wasn’t necessarily smooth sailing.
Biles started the competition on the balance beam, where she performed a routine good enough to secure her spot in the event final in second place. Then, while warming up for the floor exercise in the next rotation, Biles felt a tweak in her calf.
She was evaluated by medical staff, who wrapped her lower leg. She then continued the competition while favoring her left leg.
Despite the pain, the thought of pulling out of the competition never crossed Biles’ mind according to her coach Cecile Landi, who said Biles began to feel better as the meet progressed.
Biles ended the day in first place all-around with a 59.566, which is the highest score put up by any gymnast at an international competition this Olympic cycle. Biles qualified for the vault and floor final in first, and the beam final in second.
That news bodes extremely well for Team USA’s chances to grab the gold, as Biles’ contributions to the team provide a score boost that is impossible to replace.
The Americans can increase their score further and lock in the gold medal with improvements from Carey, who revealed after the competition that she was not feeling well. As a result, Carey had several uncharacteristic mistakes on the floor — an event where she is the reigning Olympic champion — and finished with a score of 10.633.
A repeat of qualifications, combined with a typical performance for Carey and tidying up a few wobbles in the beam rotation can make the U.S. team untouchable.
Although the gap between first and second is quite large (5.435 points to be exact), the distance between the teams ranked second through fourth after qualifications is a matter of tenths.
Team finals will begin with a blank slate, meaning no scores carry over. However, contrary to qualifications where each team is allowed to drop a score – in the team final three gymnasts will compete in each event for every team and all three scores will count. Two medals are seemingly up for grabs for any team that wants to rise to the occasion.
Expect a tight battle between Italy, China and Brazil.
Italy was consistent in the qualifying round, led by Alice D’Amato. Consistency is exactly what the Italians will need in a three-up-three-count scenario if the team wants to bring home an Olympic medal for the first time since winning silver in 1928.
China is a powerhouse on uneven bars and balance beam but weaker on vault and floor exercise. The Chinese, who haven’t won a team medal at the Games since 2016, will start the competition on its best events, perhaps giving a glimpse into its medal prospects early on.
Brazil, on the other hand, is strong on vault and floor, where the team is led by Rebeca Andrade. The Brazilians have never won an Olympic team medal but come to Paris as the silver medalists from the World Championships in 2023.
The women’s gymnastics team final will take place Tuesday, July 30. The event will stream live on Peacockand NBCOlympics.com starting at 12:15 a.m. ET. The event will air in primetime on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
What apparatus will each team start on?
The United States and Italy will start on vault, China and Brazil will start on the uneven bars, Japan and Canada will start on the balance beam, and Great Britain and Romania will start on the floor exercise.
Who will compete in the lineup for Team USA during the team final?
Vault: Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Simone Biles Uneven Bars: Jordan Chiles, Simone Biles, Suni Lee Balance Beam: Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Simone Biles Floor Exercise: Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Simone Biles
What were the highest scores from qualifications?
The United States’ Simone Biles posted the highest all-around score (59.566), in addition to the highest score on vault (15.300) and floor exercise (14.600)
Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour posted the highest score on the uneven bars (15.600).
China’s Zhou Yaqin posted the highest score on the balance beam (14.866).
Lady Gaga was also there, fresh off her Opening Ceremonies performance. Another celebrity featured in the Games’ opener, Olympic torch bearerSnoop Dogg, also watched as Biles took the floor. “She nailed it,” Gaga posted to Instagram after Biles’s time on the beam. “What an honor to be so close.”
Nick Jonas (L) speaks with John Legend and Chrissy Teigen as they attend the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Qualification on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Look in another corner, and you’ll find Joe Jonas chatting it up with John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen. “This was on our bucket list. We wanted to make sure we came to this event,” Legend told Reuters of the Olympic gymnastics competition. “They represent the best of America and we are so proud and excited for them.”
Tom Cruise (R), David Zaslav (2nd-R) and Greta Gerwig (2nd row, R) attend the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Qualification on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
At another point in the competition, Barbie director Greta Gerwig took a seat just down from Cruise and Zaslav, watching as Biles and the rest of the US team worked toward what we now know to be a confirmed spot in the finals.
And so far, things also look good for the 27-year-old Biles, who famously pulled out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after a loss of air awareness. The most decorated gymnast in history, she’s expected to compete in the team events as well as the all-around final, vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.
Simone Biles‘ biological dad is proud of her no matter what. Though he isn’t part of her life, he’s still supportive from a distance.
Simone Biles was adopted by her maternal grandparents Nellie and Ronald Biles. The stellar Olympic gymnast refers to them as Mom and Dad even though they aren’t her biological mother and father. The couple adopted her after her mother Shanon was struggling with addiction, and Simone and her sister Adria were in foster care. Nellie and Ron adopted the two, and raised them like their own children.
While Shanon is in contact with her daughters, here’s a deep dive into Simone Biles’ father and what their relationship is like now.
Who is Simone Biles’ father?
Simone Biles’ father is Kevin Clemons. He lives in Ohio but is not in contact with the athlete.
Shanon sometimes receives calls from Kevin when she’s competing. In an interview withDaily Mail in 2016, she said, “He just called me Sunday. I said, ‘I’m watching Simone are you watching her? Are you watching her? Call me back later. He knows that’s his daughter and he’s very proud of her.’
Shanon wasn’t in contact with Simone, her family, or her sister for several years after Ron and Nellie adopted them, but they gradually started talking again after she became sober. “When I talk to Simone, it’s a brief conversation, like, ‘I miss you, I love you, I can’t wait to see you, I’m proud of you, I’m watching. You go girl,’” she told the publication. “It’s never anything personal. I want to tell her what really happened when I was younger, but I keep on waiting for the right time.”
Before the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, Shanon called Simone. “We were briefly on the phone but she’s been very busy. We spoke right before she went to camp to prepare for the Olympics – I spoke to her and Adria. I said, “I love you, I’m proud of you, I miss you, can’t wait to see you.” She said “I love you too”.
Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team take center stage Sunday with qualifying at Bercy Arena. Biles is looking to earn her fifth Olympic gold medal and seventh overall. She won two medals in Tokyo despite withdrawing from the all-around to focus on her mental health.
Competition begins at 9:30 a.m. CEST (3:30 a.m. EST) with Subdivision 1. Biles and Co. are in Subdivision 2, beginning at 11:40 a.m. in Paris. They’ll start on the balance beam.
Biles will anchor three of four events for the Americans on Sunday: balance beam, floor exercise and vault. She will go next-to-last on uneven bars. Reigning all-around champion Sunisa Lee and Tokyo silver medalist Jordan Chiles also will compete in all four events in qualifying. The top eight teams from qualifying advance to the team final on Tuesday.
The top 24 individual qualifiers in the all-around will make the finals on Thursday. There’s a limit of two gymnasts per country.
The early events will be available on Peacock with the later events that morning available on NBC New York. The event will air again that evening in Primetime on NBC.
July 30 – Women’s team final: The women’s team final begins at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30. You can watch it on NBC and stream every apparatus on Peacock.
Aug. 1 – Women’s all-around final: The women’s all-around final begins at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Aug. 3 – Women’s vault final: The women’s vault final begins at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3 on NBC and Peacock.
Aug. 4 – Women’s uneven bar final: The women’s uneven bars final begins at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, Aug 4 on NBC and Peacock.
Aug. 5 – Women’s balance beam finals: The women’s balance beam finals begins at 6:36 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 5.
Aug. 5 – Women’s floor exercise finals: The women’s floor exercise final begins at 8:20 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 5.
Women’s Qualifying ⤵️ Sunday, 11:40am local / 5:40am ET
Individual and team gymnastics events at the 2024 Olympics will air on NBC New York, USA Network and E!. Streaming will be available on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC Olympics app and the NBC app.
A new skill to be named after Biles?
Biles is looking to add to the list of skills named after her in gymnastics’ Code of Points.
The American superstar submitted an original skill on uneven bars to the International Gymnastics Federation on Friday. If Biles successfully completes it during women’s qualifying on Sunday, the skill will become the sixth to bear her name in the code.
Biles already has two elements named after her on vault — including the Yurchenko double pike — and floor exercise, and one on balance beam. She is looking to become the only active gymnast to have an eponymous skill on all four events.
The skill Biles submitted requires her to do a forward circle around the lower bar before turning a handstand into a 540-degree pirouette. USA Gymnastics teased the move on X on Friday.
Simone Biles competes in the floor exercise on Day Two of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics Trials at Target Center on June 28, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Elsa/Getty Images
The highly-anticipated 2024 Summer Olympic Games are just around the corner with star athletes already taking their rightful place on Team USA. The Paris Summer Games promise to deliver a roster filled with the sports world’s top talent, including Steph Curry, LeBron James, Scottie Scheffler, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Kevin Durant, Sha’Carri Richardson and more.
While athletes prepare for the Paris Summer Olympics, it’s the perfect time for fans to gear up to watch their favorite athletes go for the gold. This is your ultimate 2024 Summer Olympics viewing guide.
When are the 2024 Summer Olympic Games?
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from Friday, July 26, 2024, through Sunday, August 11, 2024.
What is the host city for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games?
The host city for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be Paris, France.
How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics
NBC and Telemundo will broadcast at least nine hours of coverage from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET each day. Some events will air on the USA Network, Golf Channel, CNBC and E!.
Peacockwill livestream every event of the Paris 2024 Olympics, including the opening and closing ceremonies and every Olympic basketball game.
How to watch the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games without cable
While many cable packages include NBC and the other channels broadcasting the 2024 Summer Olympics, it’s easy to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics if those channels aren’t included in your cable TV subscription, or if you don’t have cable at all. Your best options for watching are below. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)
In addition to major sporting events like the 2024 Paris Olympics, Peacock offers its subscribers live-streaming access to NFL games that air on NBC and sports airing on USA Network. The streaming service has plenty more live sports to offer, including Big Ten basketball, Premier League soccer and WWE wrestling (including formerly PPV-only events such as WrestleMania). There are 80,000 hours worth of recorded content to watch as well, including hit movies and TV series such as “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.”
A Peacock subscription costs $6 per month. An annual plan is available for $60 per year (best value). You can cancel anytime.
Top features of Peacock:
Peacock’s Olympic coverage will include “multi-view” options in which fans can curate their viewing journey, choosing the Olympic events they are most interested in watching.
Peacock will air exclusive coverage of PGA Tour events, Olympic trials and Paris Olympics 2024 events.
Peacock features plenty of current and classic NBC and Bravo TV shows, plus original programming such as the award-winning reality show “The Traitors.”
If you don’t have cable TV that includes NBC, one of the most cost-effective ways to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer also offers access to Olympic qualifiers, the 2024 Paris Games, NFL football airing on NBC, Fox and ABC (where available) and NFL Network with its Orange + Blue plan. Also worth noting: Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud-based DVR recording space included, perfect for recording all the season’s top NFL matchups.
That Orange + Blue plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer is currently offering a 50% off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. Sports fans may want to up their coverage with the Sports Extra plan, which costs $11 per month, and includes Golf Channel among others. You can learn more by tapping the button below.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:
Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like Wimbledon.
There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (19 in total) via Sling TV’s Sports Extras add-on.
You can also catch the 2024 Summer Olympics airing on network TV on Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to network-aired sports like the Tour de France, and almost every NFL game next season. Packages include the live feed of sports and programming airing on CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just the Summer Olympics- all without a cable subscription.
To watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to Olympic events, you’ll have access to NFL football, Fubo offers NCAA college sports, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. Fubo’s Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.
Sports fans will want to consider adding on the $7.99 per month Fubo Extra package, which includes MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, SEC Network and more channels. Or upgrade to the Fubo Elite tier and get all the Fubo Extra channels, plus the ability to stream in 4K, for an extra $10 per month.
Top features of Fubo Pro Tier:
There are no contracts with Fubo — you can cancel at any time.
You can watch sporting events up to 72 hours after they air live with Fubo’s lookback feature.
The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, including NFL Network and Golf Channel.
Fubo includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro sports, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
You can watch the 2024 Summer Olympics and more top-tier sports coverage, including NFL Network, with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including Golf Channel. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and every NFL game on every network next season with Hulu + Live TV, plus exclusive live regular season NFL games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month.
Watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games live with a digital HDTV antenna
Amazon
You can also watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games airing on network TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch sports without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This ultra-thin, multi-directional Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro digital antenna with a 65-mile range can receive hundreds of HD TV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox and Univision, and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV, top-tier sound and comes with a 12-foot digital coax cable.
This antenna is currently $56 at Amazon, reduced from $70 with coupon.
2024 Summer Olympic Games schedule: Key dates
Getty Images
Below are key dates for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. For a full broadcast schedule of all events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, tap here.
Key dates for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games
Olympic Village Opens: July 13
Torch Relay in Paris: July 20 – July 26
Gymnastics: July 27 – August 5
Swimming: July 27 – August 4
Track and Field: August 1 – August 11
Breaking: August 9 and 10
Basketball: July 28 – August 9
Soccer: July 24 – August 10
Cycling (Track): August 1 – August 5
Volleyball: July 28 – August 11
Closing Ceremony: August 11
What new sports are included in the 2024 Summer Olympics?
32 sports will be represented at the Paris 2024 Olympics, including four new additions to the official competition: breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing. All competitions will take place in and around Paris, save for the surfing competitions which will take place in Tahiti, a part of French Polynesia.
Fans may remember skateboarding and surfing made brief appearances at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Both sports make their official Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games this summer.
What is the official mascot of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?
Paris 2024
The official mascot of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is called the Olympic Phryge. It is an adorable rendition of traditional small Phrygian hats. Decked out in red, white and blue, the colors of France’s famous tricolor flag, the Olympic Phryge symbolizes freedom throughout French history.
When is the 2024 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony?
The 2024 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony is scheduled for July 26, 2024. For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony won’t take place in a stadium. Instead, this summer’s opening ceremony will bring sports to the heart of Paris via the Seine River.
The 2024 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony will consist of boats for each national designation traveling up the Seine through the center of Paris. Going from east to west, 10,500 athletes will cross through Paris before finally landing in front of the Trocadéro, where the remainder of the opening ceremony will take place.
Is LeBron James competing for Team USA?
Not only is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James scheduled to compete for Team USA, but the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will reunite former Golden State Warriors teammates Steph Curry and Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns).
Other famous faces fans can expect to see on the basketball court competing for Team USA include Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves). Edwards’ teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be on the court for the U.S. this summer, but will be competing for the Greek national team.
Team USA’s women’s basketball roster is equally star packed. Though Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark didn’t make the team this year, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will be representing the U.S. alongside Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces).
Other notable athletes who have punched a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics include track star Sha’Carri Richardson, golf star Scottie Scheffler, No. 1- ranked Nelly Korda, 20-year-old tennis sensation Coco Gauff and No. 5-ranked tennis ace Jessica Pegula.
Simone Biles proved once again why she is called the Greatest of All Time during the first day of women’s competition at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Minnesota.
Source: KEREM YUCEL / Getty
With her eyes on making her third Olympic team—something no one’s done since Dominique Dawes—Biles showed off her incredible talent and determination.
Coming off her ninth all-around U.S. Championships title, Biles entered the competition with high expectations. She started the night with a spectacular floor routine, earning the highest score of the evening with a 14.850.
Biles then moved to the uneven bars, where her skillful execution placed her at No. 2 in the standings. Despite this, she quickly regained her momentum on the balance beam. Although it wasn’t her strongest event of the night, she still delivered a solid performance that kept her in the running.
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Returning to the floor for her next routine, she awed the judges and fans. The performance earned back her earlier score of 14.850 and reclaimed her spot at the top. Her consistency and flair on the floor exercise reaffirmed her status as the leading contender for the Olympics.
The night reached its climax as Biles approached the vault. She executed her famous Yurchenko double pike with precision, securing a score of 15.975. Her amazing performance routine solidified her dominance in the competition.
According to NBC News, the top all-around finisher after two days of competition at the trials will earn an automatic spot on the five-member women’s Olympic team.
A selection committee will determine the remaining four spots, considering the results from the trials and previous competitions. On Sunday, they will announce the finalized list of women’s gymnastics team competing in Paris. The U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games air live on NBC and Peacock.
Will Simone Biles’ performance be remembered as one of the greatest comebacks in gymnastics history? Let us know your thoughts below.
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles won her ninth U.S. Championship on Sunday, leaving little doubt that at 27 and a decade-plus into her run atop the sport, she is as good as ever.Biles posted a two-day all-around total of 119.750, nearly six points clear of runner-up Skye Blakely and leaving little doubt that she appears ready to add a second all-around Olympic gold to go with the one she captured in 2016.Video above: Simone Biles makes history In front of an audience that included her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles put on a four-rotation clinic that featured all the trademarks of a typical Biles performance. There was jaw-dropping athleticism mixed with precision and more than a splash of swagger.Biles finished with the highest two-day score on all four events — something she’d done only once before at nationals (2018) — to build plenty of momentum ahead of the Olympic trials later this month in Minneapolis.Her only misstep on Sunday came on vault. She came up short on her Yurchenko double pike — two back flips with her hands clasped behind her knees — during warmups and overcompensated when it counted, generating so much force she wound up on her back. She still received a 15.000 for her effort, a testament to a vault that’s never been completed in competition by another woman and only attempted by a select group of men.Not that it bothered her. Biles collected herself, took a couple of deep breaths then followed it up a Cheng vault that was rewarded with a 15.1 and put a ninth national title within reach, heady territory considering no other gymnast in the history of the sport in the U.S. has more than seven.While Biles remains above the fray as usual, there is plenty of competition for the other four spots on the five-woman U.S. team that will head to Paris as heavy favorites to return to the top of the podium after finishing second to Russia in Tokyo three years ago. Blakely, 19, put together another impressive performance and will head to Minneapolis with plenty of momentum. Three years after her bid to make the 2020 Olympic team ended with an injury, Blakely is peaking at the right time.Suni Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion who has spent the last year-plus battling kidney issues that have limited her training, shook off an early mistake on vault to put together elegant routines on uneven bars and balance beam that few in the world — even Biles — can match.Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are in the mix, though both endured falls on beam on Sunday. Third-place finisher Kayla DiCello slipped off the uneven bars. Leanne Wong, perhaps looking fatigued after a long season competing at Florida, also endured uncharacteristic miscues.Shilese Jones, considered the best all-around gymnast in the U.S. without the last name Biles, pulled out of the championships on Friday, citing a shoulder injury though she said Sunday she was feeling better and plans to be available for trials. So will 18-year-old Kaliya Lincoln, who opted not to compete on Sunday after tweaking something during Friday night’s opening session.Both — if healthy — figure to be serious contenders to earn an invitation to Paris (Jones in particular). If they’re not, the door could swing wide open for others and test the depth the senior elite program has been touting for years.
FORT WORTH, Texas —
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles won her ninth U.S. Championship on Sunday, leaving little doubt that at 27 and a decade-plus into her run atop the sport, she is as good as ever.
Biles posted a two-day all-around total of 119.750, nearly six points clear of runner-up Skye Blakely and leaving little doubt that she appears ready to add a second all-around Olympic gold to go with the one she captured in 2016.
Video above: Simone Biles makes history
In front of an audience that included her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles put on a four-rotation clinic that featured all the trademarks of a typical Biles performance. There was jaw-dropping athleticism mixed with precision and more than a splash of swagger.
Biles finished with the highest two-day score on all four events — something she’d done only once before at nationals (2018) — to build plenty of momentum ahead of the Olympic trials later this month in Minneapolis.
Her only misstep on Sunday came on vault. She came up short on her Yurchenko double pike — two back flips with her hands clasped behind her knees — during warmups and overcompensated when it counted, generating so much force she wound up on her back. She still received a 15.000 for her effort, a testament to a vault that’s never been completed in competition by another woman and only attempted by a select group of men.
Not that it bothered her. Biles collected herself, took a couple of deep breaths then followed it up a Cheng vault that was rewarded with a 15.1 and put a ninth national title within reach, heady territory considering no other gymnast in the history of the sport in the U.S. has more than seven.
While Biles remains above the fray as usual, there is plenty of competition for the other four spots on the five-woman U.S. team that will head to Paris as heavy favorites to return to the top of the podium after finishing second to Russia in Tokyo three years ago.
Blakely, 19, put together another impressive performance and will head to Minneapolis with plenty of momentum. Three years after her bid to make the 2020 Olympic team ended with an injury, Blakely is peaking at the right time.
Suni Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion who has spent the last year-plus battling kidney issues that have limited her training, shook off an early mistake on vault to put together elegant routines on uneven bars and balance beam that few in the world — even Biles — can match.
Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are in the mix, though both endured falls on beam on Sunday. Third-place finisher Kayla DiCello slipped off the uneven bars. Leanne Wong, perhaps looking fatigued after a long season competing at Florida, also endured uncharacteristic miscues.
Shilese Jones, considered the best all-around gymnast in the U.S. without the last name Biles, pulled out of the championships on Friday, citing a shoulder injury though she said Sunday she was feeling better and plans to be available for trials. So will 18-year-old Kaliya Lincoln, who opted not to compete on Sunday after tweaking something during Friday night’s opening session.
Both — if healthy — figure to be serious contenders to earn an invitation to Paris (Jones in particular). If they’re not, the door could swing wide open for others and test the depth the senior elite program has been touting for years.
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles won her ninth U.S. Championship on Sunday, leaving little doubt that at 27 and a decade-plus into her run atop the sport, she is as good as ever.Biles posted a two-day all-around total of 119.750, nearly six points clear of runner-up Skye Blakely and leaving little doubt that she appears ready to add a second all-around Olympic gold to go with the one she captured in 2016.Video above: Simone Biles makes history In front of an audience that included her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles put on a four-rotation clinic that featured all the trademarks of a typical Biles performance. There was jaw-dropping athleticism mixed with precision and more than a splash of swagger.Biles finished with the highest two-day score on all four events — something she’d done only once before at nationals (2018) — to build plenty of momentum ahead of the Olympic trials later this month in Minneapolis.Her only misstep on Sunday came on vault. She came up short on her Yurchenko double pike — two back flips with her hands clasped behind her knees — during warmups and overcompensated when it counted, generating so much force she wound up on her back. She still received a 15.000 for her effort, a testament to a vault that’s never been completed in competition by another woman and only attempted by a select group of men.Not that it bothered her. Biles collected herself, took a couple of deep breaths then followed it up a Cheng vault that was rewarded with a 15.1 and put a ninth national title within reach, heady territory considering no other gymnast in the history of the sport in the U.S. has more than seven.While Biles remains above the fray as usual, there is plenty of competition for the other four spots on the five-woman U.S. team that will head to Paris as heavy favorites to return to the top of the podium after finishing second to Russia in Tokyo three years ago. Blakely, 19, put together another impressive performance and will head to Minneapolis with plenty of momentum. Three years after her bid to make the 2020 Olympic team ended with an injury, Blakely is peaking at the right time.Suni Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion who has spent the last year-plus battling kidney issues that have limited her training, shook off an early mistake on vault to put together elegant routines on uneven bars and balance beam that few in the world — even Biles — can match.Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are in the mix, though both endured falls on beam on Sunday. Third-place finisher Kayla DiCello slipped off the uneven bars. Leanne Wong, perhaps looking fatigued after a long season competing at Florida, also endured uncharacteristic miscues.Shilese Jones, considered the best all-around gymnast in the U.S. without the last name Biles, pulled out of the championships on Friday, citing a shoulder injury though she said Sunday she was feeling better and plans to be available for trials. So will 18-year-old Kaliya Lincoln, who opted not to compete on Sunday after tweaking something during Friday night’s opening session.Both — if healthy — figure to be serious contenders to earn an invitation to Paris (Jones in particular). If they’re not, the door could swing wide open for others and test the depth the senior elite program has been touting for years.
FORT WORTH, Texas —
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles won her ninth U.S. Championship on Sunday, leaving little doubt that at 27 and a decade-plus into her run atop the sport, she is as good as ever.
Biles posted a two-day all-around total of 119.750, nearly six points clear of runner-up Skye Blakely and leaving little doubt that she appears ready to add a second all-around Olympic gold to go with the one she captured in 2016.
Video above: Simone Biles makes history
In front of an audience that included her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles put on a four-rotation clinic that featured all the trademarks of a typical Biles performance. There was jaw-dropping athleticism mixed with precision and more than a splash of swagger.
Biles finished with the highest two-day score on all four events — something she’d done only once before at nationals (2018) — to build plenty of momentum ahead of the Olympic trials later this month in Minneapolis.
Her only misstep on Sunday came on vault. She came up short on her Yurchenko double pike — two back flips with her hands clasped behind her knees — during warmups and overcompensated when it counted, generating so much force she wound up on her back. She still received a 15.000 for her effort, a testament to a vault that’s never been completed in competition by another woman and only attempted by a select group of men.
Not that it bothered her. Biles collected herself, took a couple of deep breaths then followed it up a Cheng vault that was rewarded with a 15.1 and put a ninth national title within reach, heady territory considering no other gymnast in the history of the sport in the U.S. has more than seven.
While Biles remains above the fray as usual, there is plenty of competition for the other four spots on the five-woman U.S. team that will head to Paris as heavy favorites to return to the top of the podium after finishing second to Russia in Tokyo three years ago.
Blakely, 19, put together another impressive performance and will head to Minneapolis with plenty of momentum. Three years after her bid to make the 2020 Olympic team ended with an injury, Blakely is peaking at the right time.
Suni Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion who has spent the last year-plus battling kidney issues that have limited her training, shook off an early mistake on vault to put together elegant routines on uneven bars and balance beam that few in the world — even Biles — can match.
Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are in the mix, though both endured falls on beam on Sunday. Third-place finisher Kayla DiCello slipped off the uneven bars. Leanne Wong, perhaps looking fatigued after a long season competing at Florida, also endured uncharacteristic miscues.
Shilese Jones, considered the best all-around gymnast in the U.S. without the last name Biles, pulled out of the championships on Friday, citing a shoulder injury though she said Sunday she was feeling better and plans to be available for trials. So will 18-year-old Kaliya Lincoln, who opted not to compete on Sunday after tweaking something during Friday night’s opening session.
Both — if healthy — figure to be serious contenders to earn an invitation to Paris (Jones in particular). If they’re not, the door could swing wide open for others and test the depth the senior elite program has been touting for years.
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles won her ninth U.S. Championship on Sunday, leaving little doubt that at 27 and a decade-plus into her run atop the sport, she is as good as ever.
Biles posted a two-day all-around total of 119.750, nearly six points clear of runner-up Skye Blakely and leaving little doubt that she appears ready to add a second all-around Olympic gold to go with the one she captured in 2016.
In front of an audience that included her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, Biles put on a four-rotation clinic that featured all the trademarks of a typical Biles performance. There was jaw-dropping athleticism mixed with precision and more than a splash of swagger.
Biles finished with the highest two-day score on all four events — something she’d done only once before at nationals (2018) — to build plenty of momentum ahead of the Olympic trials later this month in Minneapolis.
Her only misstep on Sunday came on vault. She came up short on her Yurchenko double pike — two back flips with her hands clasped behind her knees — during warmups and overcompensated when it counted, generating so much force she wound up on her back. She still received a 15.000 for her effort, a testament to a vault that’s never been completed in competition by another woman and only attempted by a select group of men.
Simone Biles performs her vault routine during the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena on May 31, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Aric Becker/ISI Photos / Getty Images
Not that it bothered her. Biles collected herself, took a couple of deep breaths then followed it up a Cheng vault that was rewarded with a 15.1 and put a ninth national title within reach, heady territory considering no other gymnast in the history of the sport in the U.S. has more than seven.
While Biles remains above the fray as usual, there is plenty of competition for the other four spots on the five-woman U.S. team that will head to Paris as heavy favorites to return to the top of the podium after finishing second to Russia in Tokyo three years ago.
Blakely, 19, put together another impressive performance and will head to Minneapolis with plenty of momentum. Three years after her bid to make the 2020 Olympic team ended with an injury, Blakely is peaking at the right time.
Suni Lee, the 2020 Olympic champion who has spent the last year-plus battling kidney issues that have limited her training, shook off an early mistake on vault to put together elegant routines on uneven bars and balance beam that few in the world — even Biles — can match.
Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are in the mix, though both endured falls on beam on Sunday. Third-place finisher Kayla DiCello slipped off the uneven bars. Leanne Wong, perhaps looking fatigued after a long season competing at Florida, also endured uncharacteristic miscues.
First place winner Simone Biles looks on from the podium for the vault routine during the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena on June 02, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Elsa/Getty Images
Shilese Jones, considered the best all-around gymnast in the U.S. without the last name Biles, pulled out of the championships on Friday, citing a shoulder injury though she said Sunday she was feeling better and plans to be available for trials. So will 18-year-old Kaliya Lincoln, who opted not to compete on Sunday after tweaking something during Friday night’s opening session.
Both — if healthy — figure to be serious contenders to earn an invitation to Paris (Jones in particular). If they’re not, the door could swing wide open for others and test the depth the senior elite program has been touting for years.
