The 2024 Paris Olympics are almost here, and athletes from around the world are gathering on the banks of the Seine to prep, train, and post about their cardboard beds. Among them is Simone Biles, returning to reclaim her world titles three years after she withdrew from multiple events during the Tokyo Games.
On Monday, Biles posted a handful of dispatches from the Olympic Village to announce her arrival. She also posted photos with her teammates wearing Team USA’s Ralph Lauren tracksuits. Also in Paris: Biles’s husband, Jonathan Owens, who stepped away from NFL training camp to, in his words, “be a cheerleader” for his wife.
Biles, who recalled being told by a higher-up that she was the team’s “gold-medal token” in Tokyo, says she’s in a “good mental spot” going into this year’s Games. She’ll also, per Team USA, be under less pressure — technical lead Chellsie Memmel told reporters on Tuesday that the star won’t be asked to compete in all four events this year if she doesn’t feel up to it. “If that’s what she needs to continue to be at her best for the team and for herself, that’s what we’re going to do,” Memmel said when asked if Biles would be given the option to sit out some events. “There are still four other members on our team.” Like Biles, three of those gymnasts — Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey — are returning Olympics competitors, and 16-year-old newcomer Hezly Rivera will join them for her first Games.
Biles, though, might be feeling a little more competitive than her coaches — during last month’s Olympic trials, she called Paris “our redemption tour.” Fasten your seatbelts!