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The most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history, Simone Biles, has once again captured global attention — this time not for her gravity-defying performances but for a viral photo celebrating her Olympic achievements. Following her record-breaking success at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Biles shared a series of images on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday that quickly went viral, showcasing all 11 of her Olympic medals.
In the first of the three photos, Biles is seen sitting in a white dress on a white photo shoot set, confidently biting into one of her gold medals. The rest of her medals, including the four she won in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and the seven she brought back from Paris, are neatly displayed around her.
6 year old me would be proud 🥹🤎🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/oEV3Btr2Of
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 27, 2024
The caption accompanying the photos reads, “6 year old me would be proud 🥹🤎🤞🏾,” reflecting Biles’ journey from a young girl with big dreams to an Olympic legend. The post quickly garnered millions of likes and comments, with fans and fellow athletes alike praising her for her accomplishments and her influence on the sport of gymnastics.
Simone Biles makes Olympic history
Biles’ performance in Paris further solidified her place in gymnastics history. Leading the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, dubbed the “Golden Girls,” Biles helped secure a team gold medal, marking the fourth time an American team has won gold in the event. In addition to her team success, Biles claimed individual gold in the all-around competition, continuing the American women’s streak of six consecutive Olympic all-around titles, a run that began with Carly Patterson's victory at the 2004 Athens Games.
At 27 years old, Biles became the oldest female gymnast in 72 years to win the Olympic all-around title, a record previously held by Soviet gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya, who won at age 30 during the 1952 Helsinki Games, per NCBOlympics.com.. Biles’ victory in the all-around was particularly significant as it came in a fiercely competitive field, with Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, the 2020 Tokyo silver medalist, finishing second, and Biles’ teammate, Tokyo all-around champion Suni Lee, taking home the bronze.
Biles' individual vault performance in Paris was another highlight. After withdrawing from the vault final at the Tokyo 2020 Games due to mental health concerns, she made a triumphant return in Paris, executing two of the most challenging vaults in the sport: a Yurchenko double pike and a Cheng. Her execution of these difficult moves secured her the gold, with Andrade taking silver and fellow American Jade Carey earning bronze.
Despite facing challenges, including her well-documented struggles at the Tokyo Olympics, Biles returned stronger than ever in Paris, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
