Simone Biles recently secured her spot on Team USA for her third Olympic Games, making her the oldest female gymnast from America to compete in the Games in 72 years, at just 27 years old.
During a press conference after the U.S. Olympic trials, Biles reflected on her journey and how her perspective has changed over time, particularly in relation to her former teammate Aly Raisman, who she once jokingly referred to as the “grandma” of the team.
Upon qualifying for the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team, Biles felt the need to apologize to Raisman for the lighthearted nickname, acknowledging that she now realizes she’s significantly older than she was during their time together competing in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
When Biles participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 19, she is now five years older than Raisman was at that time.
“And, you know, it’s what, 11 [p.m.]? So, it’s definitely past my bedtime,” she joked. “So, I know Aly would be cracking up right now. I’m a lot older and more mature. What was the rest of the question? See, I’m forgetting.”
Biles, now the oldest member of Team USA, shared insights into her current recovery process compared to her routines during the Rio Games eight years ago. She emphasized the importance of mental and physical recovery post-competition.
“I definitely have to take care of recovery mentally, physically. After Classics, I swore I couldn’t walk. I was like hobbling to the plane, so that was exciting. After Championships, I felt a little bit better and after day one of Trials, I was actually surprised I could walk. So I was like, ‘Woo, I’m actually not as sore, I’m not hurting,’ ” Biles explained.
Simone Biles expressed gratitude towards the Chicago Bears for allowing her husband, Jonathan Owens, a safety on the team, to take a few days off from training camp to support her at the Paris Olympics.
“The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he’ll be there, yes,” she mentioned to USA Today. “For just a short little time.”
