Simone Biles isn’t one of the most celebrated gymnasts in the world for nothing. Having several moves named after herself, including the dreaded Yurchenko Doble Pike, the 27-year-old is always on the lookout to push her routines further. This week will offer another chance for her to prove her worth at the Xfinity US championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

With the Olympics not even two months away, this would be a good time for the country’s gymnasts to make the final adjustments to their routines. The Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships are slated to kick off tomorrow (May 30) and will serve as the final major step before next month’s Olympic Team Trials. With this being one of the last big tournaments before the big rumble, Biles might have something up her sleeve to trounce her opponents.

A recent Reddit post on the group r/Gymnastics hinted at Simone’s possible dismount plans for the upcoming Xfinity Championship. Captioned, “Simone is planning to upgrade her beam dismount“, the post by user gym_fun shared the original YouTube post by GymCastic, where Michigan gymnast Olivia Karas talked about seeing Simone’s new dismount skill this Sunday.

“I feel like she’s a breath of fresh air on the international stage“, said Karas talking about how Simone loves to flair up things while executing difficult moves with poise as she responded to the host’s comment that Biles should make the most of the upgrade. While both Karas and the host mentioned Simone’s options for the Xfinity US Championships in the passing, fans were quick to pick up the cue and take a nosedive into the whirlwind.

Fans have their own perception of the matter

Justifiably, when fans learned about the potential to see Biles try out something new soon, they couldn’t hold back the excitement. Redditor im_avoiding_work thinks this would be the perfect opportunity for Simone to try her hands with an upgraded version of her current dismount, the Biles, which isn’t worth it in terms of the points it carries. “since the Biles dismount isn’t worth it, my delusional conclusion hearing this is that we will be blessed with a Biles II beam dismount,” gushed the fan, while also noting that the GymCastic host might be over her head about this after all.

Simone has five moves in multiple routines, named after her, which is a rare honor that very few gymnasts can boast. Obviously, her arsenal is stacked and Simone can always reach into her own pockets when trying to up the ante. Taking a note from that, one fan thinks that if Simone is looking to upgrade from the full-in, she can easily fall back on the double-twisting double-tucked salto backward dismount which the national icon lifted the veil on in 2013. “Upgrade from the full-in, so to the Biles (double double off beam)??” speculated the Redditor.

Simone Biles has influenced her “bestie” Jordan Chiles in countless ways. As Chiles puts it, “She was my mentor, my big sister, and now she’s like my ride-or-die best friend.“ However, for spending habits, these two couldn’t be more different. Despite earning millions from her Olympic status, Biles confessed in a 2019 episode of “Kneading Dough” with Maverick Carter, “I have a fear of going broke.”

She shared how she challenges herself to go days without spending a dime on the occasional treat from Subway. She even said, “I never really swipe the [credit] card,” and she only splurges when she feels she’s truly earned it. On the flip side, Jordan Chiles has a taste for bling-y things, apparent in her ever-growing obsession.

Jordan Chiles opens up about her extravagant side

In an interview with KPRC-TV, Jordan Chiles talked about her life as an Olympic medalist, her path to the next Olympics in Paris, and her love for sneakers. She gave host Keith Garvin and fans a tour of her home, showing off her “VIP Lounge” in her closet. This is where she keeps her collection of shoes, especially her favorite Nike Air Jordans, all arranged by color and design. She displays about 100 pairs, but that’s only half of her collection—the rest are stored in Los Angeles storage.

Jordan’s sneaker obsession didn’t start until she was older. She said, “My collection kind of grew from there and almost every Christmas I’d just be like, ‘Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!“ Now, she owns hundreds of pairs and even has a special collection with Nike, including a Paris-themed line. For her 23rd birthday, Nike went all out with baby blue Jordans as part of the decor.

Simone Biles has influenced her “bestie” Jordan Chiles in countless ways. As Chiles puts it, “She was my mentor, my big sister, and now she’s like my ride-or-die best friend.“ However, for spending habits, these two couldn’t be more different. Despite earning millions from her Olympic status, Biles confessed in a 2019 episode of “Kneading Dough” with Maverick Carter, “I have a fear of going broke.”

She shared how she challenges herself to go days without spending a dime on the occasional treat from Subway. She even said, “I never really swipe the [credit] card,” and she only splurges when she feels she’s truly earned it. On the flip side, Jordan Chiles has a taste for bling-y things, apparent in her ever-growing obsession.

Jordan Chiles opens up about her extravagant side

In an interview with KPRC-TV, Jordan Chiles talked about her life as an Olympic medalist, her path to the next Olympics in Paris, and her love for sneakers. She gave host Keith Garvin and fans a tour of her home, showing off her “VIP Lounge” in her closet. This is where she keeps her collection of shoes, especially her favorite Nike Air Jordans, all arranged by color and design. She displays about 100 pairs, but that’s only half of her collection—the rest are stored in Los Angeles storage.

Jordan’s sneaker obsession didn’t start until she was older. She said, “My collection kind of grew from there and almost every Christmas I’d just be like, ‘Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!“ Now, she owns hundreds of pairs and even has a special collection with Nike, including a Paris-themed line. For her 23rd birthday, Nike went all out with baby blue Jordans as part of the decor.

Also in this week’s Olympic notebook, French Open also means last chance for Olympic tennis hopefuls, U.S. qualifies largest rowing team in 12 years

Simone Biles shows no sign of rust in return

The most decorated gymnast ever (when factoring both Olympic and World Championship medals) looks like she could get a shot to add more hardware to her collection this summer in Paris.

Simone Biles made her return to competition this past Saturday at the U.S. Classic in Hartford, and her first event of 2024 was a rousing success.

Now 27, Biles finished first in the all-around event and showcased the form that has won her seven Olympic medals and 30 world championship medals.

It didn’t qualify her for the Olympics, but the performance certainly showcased she should be one of the favorites at the event that will determine who makes it to Paris, the U.S. trials from June 27-30 in Minneapolis.

Biles is trying to make her third Olympic team and is looking for redemption after she pulled out of multiple events at the Tokyo Olympics due to mental health struggles.

While Biles showed had a successful showing at the U.S. Classic, the same couldn’t be said for another veteran gymnast looking to get back to the Olympics, Gabby Douglas.

Attempting a comeback after last appearing at the Olympics in 2016, the 28-year-old Douglas fell twice on the bars and ended up withdrawing from the competition.

French Open means more than just second tennis grand slam tournament of year

The annual French Open tennis tournament begins on Monday, but this year’s tournament will have definite Olympic vibes to it in addition to being the second grand slam tournament of the year.

One, the site of the French Open, Stade Roland Garros, will also be the site of the tennis competition at the Olympics, so potential Olympians can further get a preview.

Two, the tournament will also serve as the final qualification event for the Paris Olympics.

Qualifiers for the U.S. team in Paris will determined by world rankings following the French Open. Each country can have up to 12 players (6 men, 6 women) who qualify. One U.S. player who already qualified is Coco Gauff, who mathematically clinched a spot in March.

U.S. to field largest rowing team in 12 years

It’s been a great qualification period for the U.S. rowing team, which will send 42 athletes to Paris. That is the most for the squad since the 2012 Olympics in London.

The Americans qualified competitors in 12 of the 14 events in an effort to rebound from a disappointing showing in Tokyo, where the U.S. didn’t win a medal. It was the first time that happened at an Olympics where the U.S. sent rowers to compete.

Simone Biles, despite being the gymnastics queen of the US, has had a rough road to fame. Dealing with major complications from her mental health troubles in Tokyo, Biles took a leave to recover. Once she came back, things did seem to get back to normal. Unfortunately, the demons of her previous years threatened to come back when Biles tried to go full throttle. Competing at the 2023 Antwerp World Championships, Simone Biles had an unexpected tumble.

While running in for a dance pass on floor exercise, Biles jumped and went straight to the ground. Embarrassed at her inability to nail a proper landing, Biles immediately got up and smiled. Sadly, the damage was being done by then. However, recollecting the memories, a considerate Cecile Landi explained how she helped Simone Biles get over the shock.

Cecile Landi knows the best way to train Biles

Simone Biles, the legend she is, managed to overshadow her mistake in subsequent rounds. Delivering a sublime performance, Biles came back strong to clinch her 6th all-around championship title. While Biles basked in all the glory, one person smiled silently. It was Biles’ coach, Cecile Landi, without whom, the turnaround would have been impossible. Catching up with an earlier interview with GymCastic, Landi detailed how exactly she tackled Biles’ initial failure.

Landi stated that she was very proud of Biles’ antics out on the mat. And when she came back after the tumble, Landi said, “it was okay.” She then went on to explain that Biles herself was taken aback by her words. But Landi knew exactly what she was doing. Reflecting on her words, Landi pointed out, “I said you have enough skills don’t worry lower sty value but you should be fine.” 

Well, it was this act of compassion that triggered Biles to do something better and present her coach with a happy memory. And surely she did. Biles also took time to return to action in 2024. After spending quality time with her husband Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles made a thumping comeback at the 2024 Core Hydration Classics. The time off from the mats was a crucial factor for Biles as she is a huge advocate of mental wellness.

Simone Biles advocates for mental health

After her dismal Tokyo outing, she openly discussed ‘twisties’. According to her, under such circumstances, the mind loses the ability to fathom the existence of space and land. Thus, it made Biles face immense difficulties while in the air. However, once she got out of the mess, the 27-year-old began to preach about the importance of having a sound mental state.

Speaking about the same, Biles stated, “We have to protect our body and our mind … It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head. Whenever you get in a high-stress situation, you kind of freak out. I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being.” 

And surely, Biles has backed her talks. After coming back from her extended vacation, Biles showed her class in the Core Hydration Classics. Dominating every routine, Simone Biles scored 59.500. This was an impressive debut because Biles’ score was almost a couple of points clear of the second-placed Shilese Jones. Thus, with things looking great for Biles, it remains to be seen how well the US gymnastics queen performed in the Olympics.

Simone Biles is preparing herself for the next target–the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships, which will take place from May 30- June 2. The excitement of watching Biles create magic isn’t only among her fans. Once again, the youngest Biles family member, Ronni, aka Baby Biles, is ready to be her aunt’s biggest cheerleader.

A few days ago, Ronni donned multiple leotards in her recreational moments, emulating Simone Biles. One such leotard came as a gift from Simone’s coach, Cecile Landi. Surprisingly, in choosing another leotard, the one-and-a-half-year-old preferred to pick the one her aunt wore in the 2024 Core Hydration training camp. Now, another similarity has come to the fore.

In a recent update on TikTok, Ronni showed up in a pink leotard, a replica of Simone Biles’ leotard. The leotard came from GK Elite, the same brand that the legendary gymnast endorses and prefers as her sporting wear. So visibly elated, Sammi Biles, Ronni’s mom, framed the first excitement of Simone’s niece while trying out the leotard for the first time.

That led to a merrier caption as it conceded, “POV: your toddler loves the mirror while trying on her new leotard.” Furthering the similarity, the proud mom also wrote, “loving this confident era[emoji] clearly pumped about her TT replica leotard from @GK Elite.” The visual showed Baby Biles throwing her hands in the air while watching herself in the mirror, dressed in the new pink leotard.

However, it seems the pink leotard comes at the top of Ronni Biles’ chosen list. In the past as well, the loving niece put on the same color while giving a remembrance of Simone Biles when the latter was involved in her exercise regime. But while acknowledging a splendid performance in the sport, Ronni Biles does not show partiality to her aunt, Simone. Rather, her choice chases a perfect showdown irrespective of the gymnast’s identity. The followers witnessed one such example a few days back.

Simone Biles remains backstage while her rival makes the cut 

Simone’s sister-in-law, Sammi Biles, keeps updating fans and communities about the gymnastic activities of her daughter. In one such activity, Ronni ended up cheering for Melanie Santos, the 23-year-old French rival of Simone Biles. The artistic moves of the French gymnast seemed to impress the budding ‘gymnast’ as she took a thorough interest in watching them.

This French connection somehow worked again when Ronni Biles appeared in the World Champion Centre this month to witness Simone Biles’ training under the tutelage of Cecile Landi, the former French gymnast. There, Baby Biles acted as a mindful student, trying to get a hold of the routines.

After watching such a presence on the sideline, the elated aunt took to social media to relish her joy. While sharing a photo from that moment, Simone Biles kept the caption, “WCC’s newest elite team member, my niece Ronni.” That episode of embracing the sport continues as Baby Biles thoroughly emulates her aunt. However, Simone started her gymnastics move at the age of 6, on a day-care field trip. Is Ronni going to beat her by starting early? Well, if that happens, nobody will be far more elated than Simone Biles herself!

For celebrities and sports stars, life in the spotlight often means that their personal lives become the subject of public discourse. Simone Biles, the indomitable seven-time-medal-winning Olympian, has become the focus of chatter; not for her skill on the gymnastics mat, but for her marriage. Following her recent victory at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic, Biles took a moment to address the ongoing scrutiny surrounding her marriage to husband, Jonathan Owens. 

After years of medal after medal news, the spotlight shifted from her gravity-defying flips to her personal life, and she wasn’t about to let it slide. Simone Biles’ marriage has captivated fans and media alike, but she has made it clear that her relationship is not up for public debate.

With grace and poise, Biles emphasized the importance of boundaries and the strength she draws from her support system, showcasing that her resilience is as unwavering in her personal life as it is in her athletic career. Her candid response serves as a powerful reminder that behind every superstar is a human being deserving of respect and privacy.

How did the controversy on Simone Biles’ marriage begin?

The controversy began with a seemingly innocuous “The Pivot” podcast episode where Jonathan Owens, Biles’ husband and safety for the Chicago Bears, mentioned that he didn’t know who Biles was when they first met on a dating app in 2020. Owens humorously claimed he was “the catch” in the relationship. His words sparked a social media frenzy, with debates raging on whether his comments were harmless or subtly dismissive.

The backlash and Biles’ response

As Biles continued to dominate the gymnastics world, most recently taking home the all-around gold medal at the U.S. Classic, the online negativity towards her marriage persisted. Critics latched onto Owens’ comments, using them as fodder for disrespect toward the couple’s relationship.

Biles, known for her poise and resilience, addressed the disrespectful comments head-on. In a fiery Instagram story, she defended her marriage and her husband, stating, “I’m going to quickly address this. The joke was never a joke! Y’all are blatantly disrespectful to my relationship and my husband.” “So I’m going ahead and saying this one time. Respectfully, f— off.“

Setting the record straight

But Biles didn’t stop there. She clarified Owens’ intentions during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “He never said I wasn’t a catch,” she emphasized. “He said he was a catch because he is. I’ve never met a man like him. A lot of people that meet him are like, ‘Oh my gosh. I want a man like that, like Jonathan.’”

As the criticism persisted, Biles admitted that the discourse deeply affected her. “Then, like, one night, I broke down, and I’m like, ‘Why are you guys talking about my husband like this? That hurt that they were talking about my husband like that,‘” she revealed. “Because for me, it’s like talk about me all you want, but don’t come for my family.” 

The support for Black love

Amidst the controversy, there was a strong undercurrent of support for Biles and Owens. Many voiced their admiration for the couple’s relationship, highlighting the importance of celebrating Black love and the positive representation it provides. This sentiment was echoed across various media outlets, emphasizing the need to applaud rather than scrutinize the personal choices of public figures.

Love in the limelight

Despite the negative attention, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens continue to support each other wholeheartedly. Owens celebrated his wife’s recent victory on Instagram, expressing his admiration for her accomplishments. Similarly, Biles acknowledged her husband’s unwavering support, calling him her “whole heart” and “the best supporter” in an Instagram post. As she gears up for the 2024 Summer Olympics, the gymnast remains steadfast in blocking out negativity. Addressing her critics directly, she warned, “If you keep commenting or tweeting at me I’m just going to block you. Simple as that. @ everyone else that supports us, we love y’all so much.”

The impact of online negativity

This situation sheds light on the broader issue of online negativity and its impact on individuals, especially those in the public eye. Biles’ experience is a stark reminder of the personal toll that such unwarranted criticism can take. Despite her status as a decorated athlete and her obvious mental strength, the online disrespect towards her marriage affected her deeply, as she expressed on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.

Simone Biles’ stance against the disrespect of her marriage is a powerful statement against online negativity. By speaking out, she has not only defended her personal space but also set a precedent for how public figures might handle similar situations in the future. Her message is clear: respect is paramount, and boundaries must be honored.

Love prevails

The scrutiny of Simone Biles’ marriage is a testament to the challenges celebrities face in maintaining their privacy. Biles’ response to the critics serves as a reminder of the strength and dignity with which she approaches both her professional and personal life. 

The story of Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens is more than a tale of controversy; it’s a narrative of love, respect, and the triumph of positivity over online negativity. As the couple continues to navigate their lives in the spotlight, they do so with the grace and fortitude that have become their hallmark. Simone Biles’ message to her critics is more than a personal retort; it is a societal call to action: to foster respect, celebrate love, and reject the baseless judgment that too often pervades the digital world.

Simone Biles is preparing herself for the next target–the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships, which will take place starting May 30. The excitement of watching Biles create magic isn’t only among her fans. The youngest Biles family member, Ronni aka Baby Biles, is all set to once again be her aunt’s biggest cheerleader. A few days ago, Ronni donned multiple leotards in her recreational moments, emulating Simone Biles. One such leopard came as a gift from Simone’s coach, Cecile Landi. Surprisingly, in choosing another leotard, the one-and-a-half-year-old preferred to pick one, as her aunt wore in the past day’s training camp. Now, another similarity has come to the fore.

In a recent update on TikTok, Ronni has shown up in a pink leotard, a replica of Simone Biles’ leotard. And the leotard has come from GK Elite, the same brand that the legendary gymnast endorses and prefers as her sporting wear. So visibly elated Sammi Biles, Ronni’s mom, framed the first excitement of Simone’s niece while trying out the leotard for the first time. That led to a merrier caption as it conceded, “POV: your toddler loves the mirror while trying on her new leotard”. Furthering the similarity, the proud mom also wrote, “loving this confident era[emoji] clearly pumped about her TT replica leotard from @GK Elite”. 

All that could be seen in the visual was Baby Biles throwing her hands in the air while watching herself in the mirror, clad in the new pink leotard. However, it seems the pink leotard comes at the top of Ronni Biles’ chosen list. In the past as well, the loving niece put on the same color while giving a remembrance of Simone Biles when the latter was involved in her exercise regime.

But while acknowledging a splendid performance in the sport, Ronni Biles does not show partiality to her aunt, Simone. Rather, her choice chases a perfect showdown irrespective of the gymnast’s identity. The followers witnessed one such example a few days back.

Simone Biles remains backstage while her rival makes the cut 

Simone’s sister-in-law Sammi Biles keeps updating fans and communities about the gymnastic activities of her daughter. In one of such activities, Ronni ended up cheering for Melanie Santos, the 23-year-old French rival of Simone Biles. The artistic moves of the French gymnast seemed to impress the budding ‘gymnast’ as she took a thorough interest in watching them. This French connection somehow worked again when Ronni Biles appeared in the World Champion Centre, Texas this month, to witness Simone Biles’ training under the tutelage of Cecile Landi, the former French gymnast.

There, Baby Biles acted as a mindful student, trying to get a hold of the routines. After watching such a presence on the sideline, the elated aunt took to social media to relish her joy. While sharing a photo from that moment, Simone Biles kept the caption, “WCC’s newest elite team member, my niece Ronni.” That episode of embracing the sport continues as Baby Biles thoroughly emulates her aunt. However, Simone started her gymnastics move at the age of 6, on a day-care field trip. Is Ronni going to beat her by starting early? Well, if that happens, nobody will be far more elated than Simone Biles herself!

For the first time ever, three American Olympic all-around gold medalists, Sunisa Lee (2020), Simone Biles (2016) and Gabby Douglas (2012), faced off in one gymnastics competition. The trio competed in front of thousands of fans at the Core Hydration Classic in Hartford, Conn., last weekend alongside other top American gymnasts leading up to this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Simone Biles came out on top in the all-around with a score of 59.5, which put her 1.85 points ahead of the next-best score in a sport typically decided by just tenths of a point. The biggest victory of the night was Biles’ successful completion of her Yurchenko double pike vault without the presence of her coach Laurent Landi on the podium. Before this point, Biles had opted for Landi to remain on the podium for extra assurance despite incurring a 0.5 neutral deduction. The gymnast finished first on floor and vault as well.

Biles opted to defer all comments until after the U.S. National Championship in Fort Worth, Texas two weeks later.

After returning to competition for the first time in eight years during the American Classic in April, 2012 Olympic all-around Champion Gabby Douglas had a disappointing second competition, as she struggled on uneven bars and subsequently withdrew from the remainder of competition. Severe storms in Texas interrupted Douglas’ travel to Hartford, and it was unclear whether she would make it to the meet on time. Luckily, she was able to catch a flight on a private jet and arrive in Hartford at 6 a.m. on Friday, reporting that she only got two hours of sleep.

“It was a whole thing. My flight got canceled, … and we go up to the desk and she’s like, ‘There’s nothing until Saturday, like noon.’ … I’m going to miss the podium [training]. I want to do podium to get used to the equipment,” Douglas told the media. “And so, my mom called up my agent, and he was like, ‘Hey, I know someone with a private jet.’”

Douglas demonstrated strong readiness the day before the meet at podium training, where athletes are given a chance to adjust to the unfamiliar equipment. Following a strong podium training, where she demonstrated a complete bar set, a standing back full-on beam, and a double layout on floor, Douglas was looking forward to Saturday’s competition.

“I’m very anxious and nervous, but honestly, I am so fortunate to have everything, the body I have, the work ethic,” Douglas said.

On Saturday, however, Douglas faltered on her second pirouette on uneven bars, then fell from the loss of rhythm later on in the routine. She attempted to continue the routine but fell again. After completing only a release move in between the bars and her dismount, Douglas’ routine garnered a score of 10.100. Following uneven bars, she scratched from the rest of the competition.

Douglas had hoped to achieve a qualifying all-around score for the U.S. National Championships next week. She was qualified to compete on vault, uneven bars and beam already. However, Douglas is ineligible to petition to compete on the floor because she earned an all-around score at the American Classic in April. This result means she will fail to qualify for  all-around competition at the U.S. National Championship.

“I missed gymnastics, and I love it, and it ended rough for me in 2016, so I didn’t want to end on that note,” Douglas said of her return prior to competition. “Regardless of the outcome, I want to make sure that I end on love and joy. … It was great to be back out there with the girls and the atmosphere.”

At age 28, Douglas is more than a decade older than the age historically deemed best for an elite gymnast. However, along with Simone Biles at age 27, Leanne Wong at age 20, and Shilese Jones at age 21, more and more gymnasts are finding success beyond their teenage years. This has been facilitated in part by new name, image and likeness policies in the NCAA, which allow gymnasts to compete in college without sacrificing sponsorship potential.

“I love this generation for pushing the boundaries and saying, ‘Hey, you don’t have to be 16, you can be in your 20s [and still be successful],’” Douglas said to the media following podium training.

Shilese Jones also addressed the benefits of having gymnasts stay in the sport longer.

Jones finished second in the all-around competition with a score of 57.65, hitting a stunning bar set that garnered first place in uneven bars with a score of 15.25. The bar set included Jones’ new layout Jaeger release move. Extremely difficult for any gymnast, this move is especially impressive given Jones’s relatively tall stature at 5-foot-6 (ten inches taller than Biles, who stands 4-foot-8). After Biles, it seems that Jones is the strongest contender to make the Olympic team this summer.

“I have some big goals, [my family] is there to help me and my coach is here to support me,” Jones told the media. “I’m in this for a reason, and I’m pushing hard.”

The 2020 all-around Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee finished first on the balance beam with a score of 14.60. After struggling in podium training on uneven bars, Lee opted to compete only on the vault, beam and floor in order to leave open the option to petition to the U.S. National Championships.

Leanne Wong finished seventh in the all-around with a score of 53.45 after falling on the balance beam. Wong is currently a pre-med student at the University of Florida and taking organic chemistry concurrently with training for the Olympic Trials.

“[My goal is] to go out there and hit four for four,” Wong said to the media before the start of competition in Hartford. “This is my first elite meet back, so I’m kind of getting my feet wet and getting ready for the season.”

Qualified gymnasts will compete in the U.S. National Championships from May 30 to June 2, with the goal of being invited to the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis at the end of June.