The mastermind who coached arguably one of the best gymnasts ever, Simone Biles, for 11 years has made a comeback! In 2016, the two parted ways when the coach left the World Champions Centre owned by Biles’ family. Now that she has returned, is there any prospect of a reunion? Well, no! Not just that, the Olympic medalist’s ex coach is teaming up with an American opponent! Yes, the former USA coach may have returned to elite gymnastics in 2025 but not with America, instead with another European team. What a twist!

If you are still confused, we are talking about Aimee Boorman, the coach who hardly needs an introduction. Starting from 2005, when the star gymnast was just 8, she’d been Biles’ guiding light through to the gymnast’s first five-medal Olympics run at Rio, which is no small deal. “Simone walked into the gym already almost having figured out gymnastics.” Yet, the coach unleashed her magical guidance all through the years, shaping Simone Biles into prime form. But now, Boorman is handed a more serious responsibility in a major European team. It is truly a position that is suited to her seniority and expertise in the sport!

As per the latest update on February 28 2025, Simone Biles’ former coach, Aimee Boorman, has taken up a brand new position under the German Gymnastics Federation. Yes, you heard that! The 51-year-old is now working as the new trainer at the Stuttgart Artistic Gymnastics Forum and is slated to hold that place for the next 5 months. With this opportunity, she takes her veteran skills beyond her recent roles as an expert or a consultant at the national gymnastics clubs and associations.

The update further reveals that Aimee Boorman fills the vacant trainer position for five months. What’s more, during this period she will coach budding gymnastics sensations, Helen Kevric and Marlene Gotthardt. Yes, both of them are household names in Germany! So Aimee’s surely got to have her hands full at the moment. After all, Kevric is the all-around champion from the German Trials, who even made it to Paris last summer. Whereas, Gotthardt is DTB Pokal 2x medalist from 2024, who bagged 2 bronze medals at the Olympics’ selection meet. The Illinois native shall be looking forward to a busy season in Germany– she will be coaching for the European Gymnastics Championships in Leipzig and the European Youth Games in Croatia. However, there is more reason why Boorman’s arrival in the German gymnastics scene at this moment can be considered a boon.

Hardly anyone in the gymnastics world is unaware of the turbulence in the German gymnastics camp of late. From gymnasts like Amelie Pfeil, to Tabea Alt, Meolie Jauch, Pauline Schafer-Betz, and Catalina Santos-Moran Diaz, many have spoken about the shakeups, mistreatment, and dire condition of German gymnastics. After this, the DTB was on alarm, as they hired a law firm to handle an independent investigation into the matter. And now, this change with Boorman hints that things are shifting in the German tent.

But do you know how the American gymnastics fans have been reacting? Well, here’s an idea!

Fans hail Simone Biles’ ex coach for sweeping into Germany’s rescue

Well, the first thing that fans highlighted was how Aimee Boorman’s hiring comes at a time when German gymnastics has been under the radar. Their coaches have been straight-up scrutinised for ill-treatment and harsh policies.

No wonder one of the fans found the time to be more than just coincidental. “I saw the news about the coaching scandals and dismissals at Stuttgart, I just didn’t predict that Aimee would be the person stepping in to fill that coaching void.” Yes, many have been caught straight up surprised by this highly unanticipated move. I mean, an American elite coach joining the rival camp? No one saw it coming.

Another fan had a similar reaction. They wrote, “Wow, that’s an interesting development that I wasn’t expecting! I hope this is arrangement works out well for her and the gymnasts. From what little I have read about Aimee, she sounds like the polar opposite of the ab–ive coaches who recently left Stuttgart.” Yes, given the 51-year-old’s reputation of having worked with America’s best, Simone Biles, she is likely believed by the fans to do a good job.

But, amidst this, a key reason why fans may be taken aback by Simone Biles’ former coach’s hiring can be because it comes at a key juncture for their elite gymnasts. The tenure when Aimee Boorman will work for German gymnasts is the same when they have big competitive meets at hand. The meets at Leipzig and Croatia are slated to be held in May and July respectively. This clearly implies that the federation has shown great trust in Aimee Boorman. But isn’t it natural to trust a coach like her?

Another fan cited that, “Aimee also came in for a short-term contract with the Dutch Fed during the Tokyo Olympics during an ab-e investigation. She seems to be getting a reputation as a fire fighter. Good for her!” So yes, per the fan, she has pulled things off like this before. Damage control seems to be her specialty!

Well, ever since the December debacle for German gymnastics, two of their trainers were relieved of their duties at Stuttgart. This means since January, they have been pulling along without a trainer. Thus, it truly looks like Aimee’s been brought in for a heroic rescue of a program that has been struggling of late. No wonder a fan agreed, “I think at this point I may make her [Aimee] my go to guess in this kind of thing since she’s done it twice. It didn’t occur to me either.”

But another fan surfaced an interesting take. They suggested that Aimee Boorman may not have been the first choice for Stuttgart. Yes, they wrote, “According to this article (link), they initially tried to get Daymon Jones and Patrick Kiens, but it didn’t work out (not surprising when they just started at WCC))”  But irrespective of that, the decision is now made and set in stone. It’s Simone Biles’ ex-coach who will be taking care of things at Stuttgart now. So, what do you think of this? Let us know below!