Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas have seemingly become friends with each other. While this might seem to be a normal occurrence, the actual relationship that the duo shares is quite strained. Although both gymnastics icons represent the same country, there has always been a cold war between the two ever since Simone Biles won the all-around title back in Rio. 

However, it is often said that time is the best healer, and this stands true in this case as well. After stepping away from the glitz and glamor for eight years, Gabby Douglas now seems to be a different individual. Ahead of the Core Hydration Classics scheduled to take place on May 18, the official X account of USA Gymnastics posted a picture that went viral. 

Captioned as, “2012, 2016, & 2020”, the snap depicted Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, and Suni Lee posing in an elated manner for the camera. The expression on all three athletes’ faces exuded a sense of sisterly bonding that was amiss during the last few years between Biles and Douglas.

Simone Biles vs. Gabby Douglas revisited

Gabby Douglas was the undisputed gymnastics queen of the US having won the 2012 all-around Olympic title. She also established her dominance in her discipline by bulldozing over other competitors of her time. That was until the emergence of Simone Biles on the scene. Biles’ undisputed dominance in the World Championship events saw her bag 10 consecutive gold medals from 2013 to 2015. This was a strong message to the likes of Gabby Douglas that a new contender is here to challenge for the crown. 

As quite expectedly, when the Olympics came in 2016, Douglas was outsmarted by a scintillating Biles, who clinched the all-around medal. And the start of their strained relationship hence began. Soon after Biles’ victory, while all her teammates rose up in acknowledgement, Douglas did not. She remained in her seat and gave a cold smile that sparked heavy rumors of a possible rift between the two. 

However, things took a drastic turn in 2017 when Biles and Douglas publicly got involved. Speaking on the topic of the abuse allegations from Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas made a controversial statement asking the women to be careful about their sense of dressing. She said, “It is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy.” Hearing this, Simone Biles lashed out immediately, disapproving of Douglas’ statement. She said, “Honestly seeing this brings me to tears bc as your teammate I expected more from you & to support her.” 

Thus, it can only be imagined that after such a heated history between themselves, the latest click came as a heartwarming surprise. And surely enough, if the USA has to make it big in Paris, the trio of Biles, Lee, and Douglas would need to rise up to occasion along with others, keeping aside their personal indifferences.