Mary Lou Retton and Simone Biles share a profound connection as American gymnastics icons. While Retton made history as the first American woman to secure an overall Olympic gold, Biles has soared to unprecedented heights, earning the title of the most decorated gymnast in history. Their journeys are marked not only by triumph but also by resilience in the face of adversity.

Retton’s battle with a rare pneumonia illness spanning seven months mirrors Biles’ own challenges, including her public struggle with the Twisties. However, despite Mary Lou’s veteran status in the sport, she once openly expressed her respect for Biles’ GOAT status, claiming it surpassed her own. Did you know that she even mused about the possibility of the seven-time Olympic medalist competing in the men’s competition?

How Mary Lou Retton passed the icon crown to Simone Biles

In August 2016, “America’s Sweetheart” Mary Lou Retton candidly shared her admiration for Simone Biles’ GOAT status in the world of gymnastics with People magazine. She passionately expressed, “I say it over and over, she is the greatest gymnast ever, I really do think that.” Retton’s awe for Biles extended beyond mere medals; she even playfully suggested that Biles possessed the strength and skill to compete in the men’s competition.

Owens said in December that he did not know who Biles was when they first met

Simone Biles has had enough of the jokes at her husband’s expense.

The gymnastics star, who will likely be making her third Olympic appearance at the Summer Games in Paris, posted a message to Instagram over the weekend snapping back at those criticizing her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens.

“I’m going to quickly address this, the joke was never a joke! Y’all are blatantly being disrespectful to my relationship & my husband. So I’m gonna go ahead & say this one time. Respectfully, f— off,” she wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories.

“If you keep commenting or tweeting at me I’m just going to block you. Simple as that. And no I don’t need to touch grass or whatever tf y’all suggest…”

“[For] everyone else that supports us, we love y’all so much,” she continued.

Biles’ comments followed a post on social media where she thanked Owens for his support after winning the U.S. Classic on Saturday.

“My whole heart,” she wrote in a caption, “the best supporter, I couldn’t ask for a better husband.”

SIMONE BILES RESPONDS TO BACKLASH AND TIKTOK TRENDS AFTER NFL HUSBAND’S VIRAL INTERVIEW: ‘I BROKE DOWN’

However, social media users kept referring to Owens as “Mr. Biles.” The comments stem from an interview Owens gave on “The Pivot” podcast back in December where he claimed he did not know who Biles was when they first connected online, through the celebrity dating app Raya.

The Olympic champion demands respect for her marriage, slamming critics for disrespectful comments about Owens’ podcast remarks, and warns she will block anyone continuing the jokes.

As Simone Biles’ coach at the World Champions Centre, Cecile Landi played a pivotal role in helping Biles secure seven Olympic medals. Earlier this year, Laurent Landi’s wife and the former Olympian announced that she would be transitioning to Georgia University before the next academic year. She is ready to take on the role of co-head coach alongside Ryan Roberts for the women’s gymnastics program (the GymDogs) at the University of Georgia. Ahead of her move, Simone and her husband, Jonathan Owens, pampered Landi with a heartfelt gift.

The couple extended a token of gratitude for all that Landi has done. This gesture underscores the strong bond in the gymnastics community and highlights Landi’s remarkable influence. An overwhelmed Landi took to her Instagram to share it with her followers.

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens celebrate Cecile Landi’s move to collegiate gymnastics

Cecile Landi posted a story on Instagram saying, “Thank you” with a heart to Simone Biles and her husband Jonathan Owens for their wonderful gift before she moves to Georgia. Previously Biles’ mother had said there was no bad blood between them and Cecile and the story proves it. The photo shows a layout of gifts: a red Coach pouch, two black bags embossed with CL, and another one with LANDI on it.

Also present was a sweet handwritten note that reads, “Congrats on Georgia! We are excited for you ♥️ We can’t wait to watch you in action! Go bulldogs !!! – the Owens”. Though Landi is known to be one of the best women’s gymnastics coaches, this gesture from the Owens is a testament to her ability to be a great mentor. Cecile and Laurent Landi have been coaching Biles since 2017. Landi said in an interview, “When we started coaching Simone, I would say that we had a different kind of pressure because everyone was waiting for us, maybe, to mess up. ‘How can you get her better? How can you make her better?’ I don’t know, but she can do more. And she did.” Under Landi’s guidance, Biles won three all-around titles at the Worlds. In 2023, she became the most decorated gymnast ever.

Cecile Landi’s transition to collegiate football came after a lot of deliberation. She told the All About Gymnastics podcast that she had a lengthy discussion about it with her family, especially her daughter, saying, “It was not an easy one but one that we all agreed on.” She hopes to bring her Olympic-level experience and mentorship to Georgia, and is “thrilled for the opportunity.” However, Cecile Landi remains focused on the 2024 Olympics as part of the WCC team, continuing her work with elite gymnasts like Simone Biles. Their off-mat bond showcases deep friendship and mutual respect, enhancing both their personal and professional realms.

Beyond gymnastics: Exploring the personal bond between Cecile Landi and Simone Biles

Cecile Landi became Simone Biles’ coach after Biles had to face the abusive environment of the Karolyi ranch and the fear of Dr Larry Nassar. Through Landi, Biles was able to reach her trust potential. Landi said that Biles had “opened her eyes” to so many aspects of being a female athlete and praised Biles’ focus on bolstering her own mental health, saying, “she’s really in tune with how she’s feeling mentally and physically, speaking up about it, keeping up with her therapist weekly. She knows it’s important.” Ahead of the Olympic games in Paris, Landi will continue to coach WCC athletes like Biles and Jordan Chiles.

This year is the first time Biles will return to the elite stage since she withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Games after a bout of twisties. At that time, Laurent and Cecile Landi decided to focus on mentally preparing Biles for 2024 as the best approach. Landi emphasized, “gymnastics is never going to be over for [Simone]” and that she is “going to make it her life.” Landi remains one of Biles’ biggest cheerleaders, and the two maintain a close bond, often featuring in each other’s social media stories. Since Laurent Landi continues to be head at WCC, Cecile Landi will still very much be on the helm of things with Biles.

Simone Biles has fiercely defended her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, against ongoing social media abuse. Owens has faced criticism after revealing in an interview that he didn’t know Biles was an Olympic legend before they started dating, jokingly calling himself the “catch.”

Biles, who recently won the Core Hydration Classic with Owens cheering her on, praised her husband on Sunday, stating, “I couldn’t ask for a better husband.”

She snapped at her critics, telling them to “f*** off” after her husband faced continued vitriol from her fans, as reported by Daily Mail.

“I’m going to quickly address this, the joke was never a joke! Y’all are blatantly being disrespectful to my relationship (and) my husband.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Simone Biles is kicking off the Olympic year in historic fashion.

The all-around gold medalist at the Rio Games begins her season Saturday at the U.S. Classic, where she’ll be joined by London champion Gabby Douglas and Tokyo winner Suni Lee. It’s the first time ever three Olympic all-around champions have competed together.

“It’s a really fun moment,” Douglas, who is back after taking almost eight years off, said Friday.

This meet doesn’t directly affect who makes the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics. But it plays a role because it’s a qualifier for the national championships later this month in Fort Worth, Texas. Results at nationals determine who gets invited to the Olympic trials, June 27-30 in Minneapolis.

How to watch the 2024 U.S. Classic

Biles’ session of competition will be televised live on CNBC and Peacock, which is NBC’s streaming service. NBC will also run a show recapping all the highlights from the U.S. Classic at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.

What to expect from Biles, Lee and Douglas

Biles has already qualified for nationals as a member of the U.S. squad that won a seventh consecutive title at last year’s world championships. But she’s using this meet to test out her routines. She’s brought back her triple twisting, double somersault on floor exercise, also known as the Biles II, as well as the double-double dismount on uneven bars.

She’s also got new choreography on floor, from French choreographer Gregory Milan.

Lee was originally planning to do the all-around, which would have been her first since she had to cut short her final season at Auburn because of a kidney ailment, more than a year ago. She did bars and balance beam at Winter Cup in February, and vault and beam at the American Classic last month. But Lee is opting not to do bars here, and instead do vault, beam and floor.

Douglas qualified to do three events at nationals with her performance at the American Classic, but is hoping to improve on that so she can compete in the all-around.

Who is competing at the U.S. Classic?

Gymnasts like to have a meet to work out the nerves and have their routines judged before things start counting, so pretty much everyone is here. Biles and Shilese Jones, an all-around medalist at the last two world championships, are making their season debuts, as is Tokyo floor gold medalist Jade Carey and 2022 U.S. champion Konnor McClain, whose LSU team won the NCAA title last month.

How do you make the U.S. Olympic team?

The top all-arounder at the Olympic trials, likely to be Biles, is guaranteed a spot in Paris. The remaining four gymnasts, along with two alternates, are chosen by a selection committee based on their performances this year, scoring potential and how they’d contribute in both qualifying and team finals.

Unlike other sports, such as swimming and track and field, gymnastics teams can’t be chosen purely on results or rank order. In qualifying at the Olympics, teams compete four athletes on each event and can drop the lowest score. But in the team finals, only three athletes compete on each event and all three scores are counted. That means teams must be constructed to produce the highest scoring potential and consistency on all four events.

What’s next?

The U.S. championships are less than two weeks away, May 30 to June 2 in Forth Worth, Texas. The Olympic trials are June 27-30 in Minneapolis. The Paris Olympics begin July 26, with the women’s competition beginning two days later with qualifying.

Adria Biles, like her gymnastics legend sister, Simone Biles, was a standout gymnast until fate had other plans for her in 2016. The Biles sisters share a tight-knit bond. Despite only being separated by around two years, Adria saw Simone as a parent figure from a very young age. The Biles sisters were put in foster care for three years before their grandparents adopted them. During the time, Simone leaned into her role as a protective big sister.

Over the years, in addition to being Simone’s sister, Adria has also been her best friend and staunchest ally. Adria did, however, give up gymnastics due to Simone’s domineering presence in the sport. Recently, Simone’s sister posted an appalling memory that showed her remorse for her decision.

Watch: Simone Biles’ sister shares a glimpse of her tumble

Adria began competing in gymnastics at age nine, while Simone began at age six. In 2015, Adria followed Simone’s footsteps and even reached Level 9 (out of 10). Adria took part in a media-sharing trend titled, “Everybody add a flip,” and added a double backflip video on the floor on her Instagram story. The flawless performance was accompanied by the caption, “I miss it everyday” with a red heart.

After completing her studies in dental assisting in high school, Adria chose to give up gymnastics. Once Simone Biles posted a story in April 2021 on how younger siblings frequently outperform older siblings in professional sports. “Uh oh @adria_biles you better get back in the gym sister,” Simone wrote, tagging Adria. “Oh, that’s all you, sister,” Adria replied, adding  “not the case in this case.” Although, many people mistake Adria for Simone since she’s 5’2″, she resembles the 4’8″ Simone like a twin would. Adria didn’t quit gymnastics for that reason though.

The upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics are quickly approaching, and for American female gymnasts like Simone Biles, a global superstar, the Core Hydration Classic on Saturday marks their initial effort in securing a spot at the Summer Games.

Simone Biles commences journey toward Paris at Core Hydration Classic event.

Incredibly, three Olympic all-around champions will be part of the field for the very first time, as Gabby Douglas and Sunisa Lee – who earned gold in 2012 and 2021 respectively – join Simone Biles at the competition in Hartford, Connecticut.

In the last time these three ladies went up against each other eight years ago at the national championships, Biles came out on top while Douglas finished fourth and Lee was in 10th place in the juniors.

Since then, all three women have achieved significant success but have encountered their own challenges, adding a sense of comeback to their quest for qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Despite the intense competition, Biles is still the main draw. She stepped back from several events at the Tokyo Games due to what doctors call “the twisties” – a psychological barrier that causes a gymnast to lose track of their position during flight. However, Biles is now determined to add to her collection of seven Olympic medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Biles earned a bronze in the balance beam in Tokyo but took a break from gymnastics after the Games before returning to the sport last year. Since her return, she’s won four gold medals, along with a silver, at the world championships and surpassed Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 33 overall medals in both the Olympics and world championships.

Now, Biles begins the process of qualifying for the Paris Olympics at the Core Hydration Classic. The last chance to secure a spot is at the national championships in June, where the top performers will be selected for the Olympic Trials.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Douglas, on the other hand, is making her second competitive appearance since the 2016 Rio Olympics, ten months after announcing her return to the sport. Douglas began missing gymnastics after watching the US national championships in 2022 and decided to resume training. “Now I can’t believe I’m in this sport again,” she told NBC News Now.

Lee has also taken extended periods away from the gym since her Olympic win three years ago. She faced the threat of kidney disease, but treatment enabled her to manage the condition and aim for Paris.

Biles has been an inspiration for Lee, who shared her thoughts with Reuters last month. “She’s a very open person about her mental health,” Lee said, “and she’s helped me become more open about my own mental health journey.”

In addition to Douglas and Lee, Biles will be competing against 13 other medalists from the Olympics, World Championships, and/or Pan American Games this weekend, including Tokyo Olympic floor champion Jade Carey and six-time world championship medalist Shilese Jones.

How to watch

Biles competes in the second session of the senior women’s competition from 7-9 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 18, alongside other gymnasts with Olympic or World Championship experience. The first session, from 2-4 p.m. ET, features the rest of the senior gymnasts.

Fans can watch the first senior session live on the USA Gymnastics YouTube channel. The second session, featuring Biles, Douglas, and Lee, airs on CNBC and Peacock. NBC will also air a recap show on Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m. ET.

Over the past decade, Simone Biles has gone from gymnastics wunderkind to Olympic gold medalist to U.S. sports icon.

And this summer, she’s back in the spotlight, looking to add to her Olympic medal haul with a strong performance at the 2024 Paris Games.

Here’s everything you need to know about Biles.

Is Simone Biles competing tonight?

Yes! Biles will make her 2024 debut at the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, competing alongside fellow Olympic all-around gold medalists Gabby Douglas and Suni Lee. It’s the first time a meet has had three Olympic champions. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

How to watch Simone Biles as U.S. Classic

Biles’ portion of the event will be televised live on CNBC and Peacock, which is NBC’s streaming service. NBC will also run a show recapping all the highlights from the U.S. Classic at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Will Simone Biles compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics? Has she qualified?

Technically speaking, Biles has not yet been named to Team USA for the Paris Olympics. But based on her track record and the subjectivity within the selection process, she will almost certainly be there — and she’ll be favored to win another all-around gold medal.

Where does Simone Biles train?

Biles trains at the World Champions Centre, a facility in the Houston suburbs that her family opened after the Rio Olympics. Her parents, Ron and Nellie Biles, still own the gym.

Who is Simone Biles’ coach?

Biles has two coaches: Cecile and Laurent Landi, who have led the elite team at WCC since 2017. Biles has a particularly close relationship with Cecile Landi, who represented France at the 1996 Olympics and is set to take over as co-head coach of the University of Georgia’s gymnastics program following the Paris Games.

Who is Simone Biles’ husband?

Biles is married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, who is currently a safety for the Chicago Bears. They celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary earlier this year.

What gymnastics moves are named after Simone Biles?

In the International Gymnastics Federation’s current code of points, there are five: Two each on floor exercise and vault, and one on balance beam. Biles’ got her latest skill, the Biles II on vault, after she landed the Yurchenko double pike vault at last fall’s world championships. (Skills in gymnastics are named after the first person to land them in a major international event.)

Are there Simone Biles scoring restrictions?

In a way, yes. The international federation’s technical committee has previously undervalued some of the skills that Biles has landed in competition, explaining that they could be too dangerous for other gymnasts to attempt.

“In assigning values to the new elements, the (technical committee) takes into consideration many different aspects; the risk, the safety of the gymnasts and the technical direction of the discipline,” the committee said in a statement about one of Biles’ skills in 2019.

Biles’ supporters have argued that such undervaluing punishes Biles for safely completing skills that few other gymnasts can do.

Simone Biles vault: What’s her best ever vault?

When you think of the best, her Yurchenko double pike, now known as the Biles II, at last year’s national championships immediately comes to mind. It was massive and she landed it without even a wiggle or wobble. Her feet were slightly apart, but the judges gave it a well-deserved 9.8 execution score, which is almost unheard of for a vault.