The U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s motto for the 2024 Paris Olympics is “Anything can happen.” This means all five athletes need to be prepared to compete if they’re suddenly called upon. It’s a reference to how Simone Biles’ withdrawal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics sent shockwaves through the team.
During Tuesday’s team final in Paris, there were no such surprises as the USA took home gold in a decisive victory.
With gold on the line, the U.S. needed some Black Girl Magic to get the big win. Biles and Jordan Chiles, her good friend/training partner, led the way with rock-solid performances that reminded the world why they’re the best. Italy picked up silver and Brazil took the bronze.
After suffering a calf injury during the qualifying round, Biles came into team finals surrounded by questions. She quickly answered them all with her opening vault. In front of a star-studded crowd that featured fellow GOATs Serena Williams and Michael Phelps, she nailed her vault, putting everyone’s concerns to rest.
Honestly, from there it was pretty much business as usual for Team USA. Despite a few small mistakes, they were never challenged by the other teams. We know this is a team sport and everyone’s contributions helped get them the gold, but we also love that it was two extraordinary Black women who led this group to the top of the podium.
Biles and Chiles competed in all four events, with Suni Lee on balance beam and uneven bars and Jade Carey on the vault. The team’s youngest member, Hezly Rivera, did not compete, however, she still gets a medal.
After what happened in Tokyo, it’s understandable that Biles, now a five-time Olympic gold medalist, was nervous before things got started. Once she got that first vault out of the way, she was able to relax and focus on the present.
“But after I finished vault, I was relieved. I was like, ‘whoo,’ because there’s no flashbacks (to the Tokyo Games) or anything,” she told reporters Tuesday. “But I did feel a lot of relief and as soon as I landed vault, I was like, ‘oh yeah, we’re gonna do this.’”
Up next, Biles will compete in the individual all-around alongside Lee, as well as event finals in vault, balance beam and floor exercise, which Chiles will also be in.
Maybe once she’s done with competition, she can finally get a real meeting with Snoop Dogg. On Friday, during NBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony, Snoop Dogg and Hoda Kotb were interviewing Bile’s parents, Ron and Nellie, when her mom dropped the bomb that they’d previously met the rap legend.
However, things didn’t go that great: Nellie revealed that back in 2010, she and her daughter met him in Times Square, asked for a photo, then he was gone in an instant. “You said, ‘Two minutes,’” Nellie said. “’One, two’ — and you were gone!”
Now Snoop is the one who wants a photo with Simone Biles!