2024 Paris Olympics: Sports world reacts to Simone Biles and Team USA's gold medal in gymnastics
The U.S. cruised to a dominant victory in the team final and received praise from across the globe
Team USA strolled to a commanding win at the women's gymnastics team final on Tuesday, beating the next-closest team by nearly six points. Led by Simone Biles, the team of Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera retook gold after a silver-medal finish in Tokyo — and received praise and congratulations from around the sports world as a result.
Look at what it means for @usagym 🥹 pic.twitter.com/KJIb7I7Alt
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 30, 2024
Much of the praise went to Biles, whose dominant performance made her the most-decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast of all-time. Biles now holds eight medals, including five golds, and has a chance to win more in individual events this week.
In a league of her own 🐐 @Simone_Biles is the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast in history! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/WwOJdCy60S
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 30, 2024
The team was congratulated by former president Barack Obama, who noted Biles's accomplishment as the most decorated U.S. gymnast.
Congrats to the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team for winning gold and to the GOAT @Simone_Biles for becoming the most decorated American gymnast in history! https://t.co/lGuEuGvIjX
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 30, 2024
Former Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and Laurie Hernandez, who competed together with Biles in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, expressed their congratulations online. Both Raisman and Hernandez are in Paris in a journalistic capacity, with Hernandez working as a commentator for NBC and Raisman acting as a contributor for Olympics.com. It was Raisman's question at a media conference that led to Biles revealing the U.S. team's profane nickname: "F*** around and find out."
Aly Raisman asks Simone Biles and the team what their nickname is.
"F.A.A.F.O."
F**k around and find out pic.twitter.com/RJjZ5OWcQg— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) July 30, 2024
So proud of you!!!! @Simone_Biles https://t.co/VvVndQIuEd
— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) July 30, 2024
LETS GO LETS GO!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/eYH9RKO5n1
— Laurie Hernandez (@LaurieHernandez) July 30, 2024
WNBA star A'ja Wilson, who is at the games chasing an eighth straight Olympic gold with USA basketball, wrote about the event on social media, calling the Team USA gymnasts "goated & golden."
Watching that live was insane! the @USAGym girlies are goated & golden ! 🥇😮💨🤍
— A'ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) July 30, 2024
Country star Keith Urban congratulated the United States for their victory as well, with a photo from inside the event. Urban's wife, actor Nicole Kidman, was also spotted in the audience at the team final in Paris, cheering on the U.S.
What a phenomenal night at the Olympics here in Paris !
Team USA Gymnastics: G O L D 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸@Simone_Biles @sunisalee_ @ChilesJordan @jadeacarey @hezrivera pic.twitter.com/eKyWgvU1We— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) July 30, 2024
There were plenty of other celebrities in the house on Tuesday, with a pair of NFL players cheering on Biles: recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, and Biles' husband Jonathan Owens, a safety for the Bears.
Jason Kelce and Jonathan Owens are in awe of Simone Biles’ greatness. 🔥 #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/gcRJlberCP— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) July 30, 2024
Legendary sportscaster Dick Vitale chimed in with his congratulations, calling Biles the GOAT and including a clip of Biles's gold-clinching floor routine.
Absolutely the GOAT @Simone_Biles & her teammates dominated the competition to win the TEAM GOLD MEDAL !
USA USA USA is AWESOME BABY! pic.twitter.com/sTk81eOzgE— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) July 30, 2024
Chiles and Lee also received a shoutout from their former universities — UCLA and Auburn, respectively — where they competed in NCAA play before turning their attention to the Olympics.
THAT GIRL IS AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION!!! 🥇
Congratulations Jordan Chiles and Team USA! #GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/ifhtAiS9eV— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) July 30, 2024
🇺🇸 USA! USA! USA! 🇺🇸
🥇 @sunisalee_ & Team USA wins GOLD! #WarEagle | #OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/4s6bjcSVcJ— Auburn Gymnastics (@AuburnGym) July 30, 2024
And for a little social media presence of their own, Team USA posted a TikTok on Suni Lee's account.
"Everyone want to know what I would do if I didn't win," Lee and Chiles lip-synched, before Lee covered the camera and revealed the team holding their gold medals. "I guess we'll never know."
THEY DID THE TIKTOK pic.twitter.com/mhlrvXmfgc
— victoria ッ (@tisseslov) July 30, 2024
With the team medal secured, there are still more chances for Team USA to pick up hardware in these Olympics. Biles and Lee will compete in the all-around final on Thursday, and multiple members of the team will compete in individual events this weekend.