After Simone Biles, Gymnasts of Color Are Ushering American Sports to New Era

The 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships witnessed an iconic moment. In the All-Around finals, three young, talented Black women ascended to the top of the podium: Simone Biles, Rebecca Andrade of Brazil, and Shilese Jones. Millions around the globe proudly celebrated the moment, recognizing the significance of three athletes of color standing together.? Biles expressed her excitement, saying, “We had our Black podium of girls. So, I thought that was amazing. Black girl magic. So, hopefully, it just teaches all the young girls out there that you can do anything.”

When we look at the landscape of USA Gymnastics today where the women’s world championship team was predominantly composed of gymnasts from diverse ethnic backgrounds, it’s difficult to fathom a time not so distant when there were no black gymnasts competing at the elite level. Not too long ago, in 2008, the USA Squad consisted entirely of white athletes representing the United States at the Beijing Olympics. Then came Gabby Douglas.

How the spark of change was ignited

According to The Washington Post, Gabby Douglas emerged as a star of the 2012 Olympics, becoming the first Black all-around champion at the Olympics. Her victory resonated with kids who finally saw someone who looked like them succeeding in the sport. This led to a surge in enrollments for young kids in academies and training centers. Biles even shared in an interview, “I remember when Gabby Douglas won I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, if she can do it, then I can do it.'” However, the real transformation occurred with the arrival of the most decorated gymnast of all time, Biles herself.

Biles became the first woman of color to win an all-around title at the world championships, just a year after Gabby Douglas claimed the top spot at the Olympic Games. Despite facing hate and degrading remarks, Biles persevered, and her “Black girl magic” became an inspiration world-wide. Cecile Landi, who served as Biles’ co-coach, remarked, “Simone has opened the eyes of so many women of color, saying, ‘Hey, you can do this, too.'” In 2021, at the US Championships, all three athletes on the podium were women of color. Biles took first place, Sunisa Lee, who later became the first Asian American to win all-around Olympic gold, secured second place, and Jordan Chiles came in third. Lee also became the first Hmong-American Olympian. And from there on out the historic moments continued.

Simone Biles inspires a new era of diversity in gymnastics.

In 2022 at the US Gymnastics Championships, three Black gymnasts stood on the all-around podium for the first time. Konnor McClain, Shilese Jones, and Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles made history once again. When Jordan Chiles joined the WCC owned by Biles? parents in 2019 her mother said, ?At our home gym, Jordan was the only one. It was refreshing to be able to see people of all colors. But to see the amount of little Black girls doing gymnastics, it just did my heart so good. It?s hard to explain. It just felt like ?Wow.?? The presence of young Black girls and women of different ethnicities in the sport has grown, with athletes like Jordan Chiles, Zoe Miller, Tiana Sumanasekera and others who now train and compete alongside Biles. However, the “Biles effect” hasn’t remained limited to women’s gymnastics.

In 2023, the U.S. men’s gymnastics team won bronze at the world championships, ending a two-decade-long medal drought. Three gymnasts of color and different ethnicities graced the podium at the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics All-Around Final, marking a historic moment. Fred Richard from the United States put an end to the decade-long drought and wrote his name in history. Khoi Young, a 20-year-old native of Bowie, also made a significant impact, winning two silver medals during the 52nd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. The team also included Yul Moldauer, a South Korean-born American artistic gymnast who proudly represented the United States at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Seeing the ever-emerging diversity in gymnastics today the legacy of “Black girl magic” continues to inspire generations. Ushering a new era of diverse gymnasts to reach for the stars in the world of gymnastics and beyond.

Read more:? ?To Be Sure It?s Safe?: After Supporting Simone Biles in Antwerp, Legend?s Parents Reveal Their Protective Side

In 2023, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles advocated for a young black gymnast in Ireland, demonstrating that the path of change is here to stay whoever cannot catch up will be called out. As times have evolved, so has the inclusivity of gymnastics, and much credit goes to Simone Biles for pioneering, advocating, uplifting, and blazing a path for all to follow.

Watch this story: Watch: The Genesis of Historic Gymnastic Maneuver That Led Simone Biles to Glory at World Artistic Gymnastics Championship