Simone Biles Shines in Paris Olympics — Wins Gold and Champions Mental Health in Her Remarkable ‘Redemption Tour’

At the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles achieved something even more significant than gold — she appeared to reclaim her joy.

Already the greatest gymnast in history with seven Olympic medals (four gold) and 30 World Championship medals, Biles set a new goal in Paris: to compete on her own terms and savor every moment.

And enjoy it she did — when it was announced early Tuesday that the women of Team USA gymnastics had won gold again, Biles literally jumped for joy. She then paraded through the arena with a giant American flag, leading her teammates Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Hezly Rivera for a celebratory photo. (This team victory pushed Biles past Shannon Miller, making her the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast of all time.)

“We’re super excited,” Biles told Olympics broadcasters after the medal ceremony, speaking on behalf of the team. “We’re honored to represent the U.S. every time we compete on the world stage. Achieving that gold and our goal was an amazing feeling. We all had something to prove after Tokyo, and tonight we did just that.”

Biles dubbed these games the “Redemption Tour” because the four athletes from the 2020 Tokyo games — Carey, Chiles, Lee, and herself (with 16-year-old Rivera being the rookie) — have faced significant challenges since then, including injuries, illness, and struggles with skills and self-confidence. This team aimed not only to surpass their previous silver medal but also to make a statement about their resilience and all they’ve overcome.

Biles has been open about her mental health journey since Tokyo, where she withdrew from the team finals due to the twisties, a dangerous condition where gymnasts lose track of their bodies in the air. The first two episodes of the Netflix docuseries “Simone Biles Rising” capture the behind-the-scenes drama of that moment, Biles’ coping process, and what it took for her to make this incredible comeback. For the past five years, documentarian Katie Walsh has intermittently filmed Biles; Walsh and her crew were present in Paris filming for part two, set to release this fall.

“’Simone Biles Rising’ feels like three years’ worth of Biles’ diary entries, as she shares her truth and reclaims her voice,” wrote Variety TV critic Aramide Tinubu in her review.

Tinubu adds that with the docuseries, “Biles challenges herself and the audience to consider what happens when athletes prioritize their mental health as much as their physical well-being. The external noise can only be silenced for so long, but when you take control of what you’ve been told to feel ashamed of and trust yourself to live life on your terms, that’s true freedom.”

There’s a noticeable change in Biles’ demeanor between the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, evident even on her social media. After the 2021 qualifying round, she posted on Instagram: “Prelims [check] now to prepare for finals. It wasn’t an easy day or my best, but I got through it. I truly feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me, but damn, sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The Olympics is no joke!”

In contrast, after qualifying in Paris on Sunday, Biles wrote simply: “Grateful to be doing what I love.” Just before the finals, she posted a TikTok set to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Where Them Girls At,” showcasing her competition hair, nails, and a bejeweled leotard inspired by the American flag, reminiscent of the 1996 team’s outfits.

During Tuesday’s broadcast, Laurie Hernandez, Biles’ teammate from the 2016 Rio games, commended Biles for her progress, including her commitment to weekly therapy sessions. (Biles mentioned she had a session that Tuesday morning, saying, “I was feeling calm and ready.”) At 27, Hernandez highlighted that Biles is part of a growing group of gymnasts who continue to compete successfully into their 20s.

“This is the oldest team the United States has seen in quite some time,” Hernandez noted. “I believe it’s because athletes like Simone are discussing mental health and emphasizing the importance of training smarter, not harder, and paying attention to the mind.”

Cheering Biles on from the audience were her parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, and her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, who secured time off from the Chicago Bears’ preseason practices to watch her compete. The crowd was also filled with celebrities, including Michael Phelps and Serena Williams (the GOATs of swimming and tennis, respectively); Oscar winners Spike Lee, Nicole Kidman, and Natalie Portman; Jason and Kylie Kelce; and “Today” anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.

During Tuesday’s competition, Biles wasn’t flawless — she wobbled on the balance beam and stepped out of bounds twice during her floor exercise routine. However, she remained unfazed, rolling her eyes at the mistakes instead of beating herself up over them.

By the end of the meet, it was clear that Biles’ comeback was complete, ushering in a new, more joyful chapter of her career. A perfect example of this was captured on the NBC broadcast, where Biles and Lee were overheard discussing which TikTok they would create to celebrate their victory. See the finished product below:

The 2024 team becomes the fourth group of U.S. gymnasts to win Olympic gold, following the “Magnificent Seven” in 1996, the “Fierce Five” in 2012, and the “Final Five” in 2016 (which included Biles). At the post-competition press conference [via Yahoo Sports], Olympic champion Aly Raisman asked about their team nickname. After some hesitation, Biles revealed an abbreviated version of the NSFW answer: F.A.A.F.O. for “F— around and find out.” She later clarified that the name was an inside joke and posted on social media that the official name is the “Golden Girls” because they’re the oldest team to date.

During the press conference [per Time], Biles reflected on her time with the U.S. National Team, including her early years training at the Karolyi Ranch, where “nobody really talked or laughed” during practice. The prevailing belief was that fun didn’t lead to success.

“I was like, that’s not how I do gymnastics,” Biles recalled. Fortunately, that culture is changing. “We show off our personalities and have fun, but we also know that once we get on the floor, we’ve put in the work, and it shows in the results. We don’t have to be put in a box anymore.”

Biles’s Olympic journey is far from over. She will compete next on Thursday in the all-around competition, a historic showdown between the last two champions, Lee and herself. Additionally, she will participate in the event finals for vault, balance beam, and floor exercise. Her floor routine begins with the opening chords of Taylor Swift’s anthem “…Ready for It?” and it’s safe to say Biles’s status as the GOAT has been fully restored.