Paris 2024 Olympics: Simone Biles leads united Team USA: "We can kind of lean on each other. That's what girls' girls do."
If it’s lonely at the top, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 might be the exception.
Led by four-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles, four of the five members are returners, back at the Games after a Tokyo 2020 experience that left them chasing more Olympic glory.
It has also brought them – Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles – closer, made them a quartet that experienced the highs of victory, the sting of falling short and a relentless drive for redemption.
“All of us, like not a single one of us, had the whole experience that we wanted. There’s something that each of us wanted to be better at, so the four us kind of sticking together and really wanting to make this team was really special,” said Carey earlier this month after being named to the U.S. squad. “We’ve all worked so hard to come back from that, and so now, we’re just ready to get that redemption.”
In the years since Tokyo 2020, each of the four has used their Olympic disappointments as fuel for a return.
For the four veterans, it’s all relatable.
“I think it’s all about understanding,” said Biles. “It’s nice to have someone that is an Olympic champion [around], not just Suni but Jade, as well, to know exactly how this process works and the stress that we’re under.”
Biles: “That’s what girls' girls do.”
Biles and the other veterans have not shied away from the coming Olympic spotlight, making it clear that they want team gold in several interviews immediately following the U.S. Olympic trials.
If that adds pressure, they know they’ll have each other for support.
“We can kind of lean on each other,” Biles said. “That’s what girls' girls do. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re just going to go out there and make it happen.”
With the squad’s experience, an understand and appreciation of the mental aspect of support has come.
Biles has, of course, been a major part of that, putting mental health in sports front-and-centre after she withdrew from the women’s team final and four subsequent individual finals in Tokyo to prioritise her mental health as she dealt with a case of the ‘twisties.’
“[Simone’s] done a fantastic job of just reminding us our normal is enough,” said Carey.
“I think that we have all elevated our gymnastics so much, but also mentally, too, I think we just know what we’re going to be able to do,” Lee said. “We know what everyone brings to the table.”
Guiding Rivera
Newcomer Hezly Rivera, just 16 and the surprise final member of the U.S. squad after an impressive performance at the trials, will be the beneficiary of their wisdom, says Biles.
“We’re definitely going to guide her through the ropes. We’ve been their before, we’ve done it,” the 27-year-old said.
“She’s young. I mean, she can’t even drive! Should we teach her how to drive before she gets to Paris? Like, jeez, she’s so young,” joked Biles, before adding, “She’s so cute. She’s beautiful. We’re really proud of her for making this team, and we’re really excited to show her the ropes. She doesn’t have to do it alone, she has four veterans that have been there before.”
Newly minted sisters, too, says Carey.
“We’re really excited to bring Hezly along with us and help her soak in every moment of it,” said the Tokyo floor gold medallist. “We really are super close, like sisters. We just want the best for each other, and we want to make our dreams happen together, especially from last time.
“It just means the world to us to be able to go there again all together.”