The Gold Over America Tour was far from just a gymnastics tour. It was a celebration of the sport and some of the greatest athletes that the sport brought to the world. The tour was led by Simone Biles and hit 32 cities over a period of two months. Each performance had a blend of gymnastics with storytelling, music, and a concert-style vibe to go with it. The journey started in Oceanside, California, on September 16th and culminated on November 3rd in Michigan, Detroit. But she wasn’t on this journey alone!

Biles was joined by some of the biggest names from the 2024 Paris Olympics. She had familiar names like Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, and Brody Malone, amongst others, by her side. But this wasn’t just an American gymnast show! It also had international gymnasts, including Canadian stars Ellie Black, Peng-Peng Lee, and France’s Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, joining in. And last but not least, there was also Casimir Schmidt, the man who represented the Netherlands at the Olympics, joining in. The tour was a global celebration of the sport. But how exactly did Biles come around to picking these athletes for her team?

The Biles recruitment for Casimir Schmidt!

This is a process that is rooted in shared history and camaraderie. Simone Biles and Casimir Schmidt first met each other during the 2013 Antwerp World Championships. This was Schmidt’s international debut and the queen’s first world championship. It was on this momentous occasion, 11 years ago, that their friendship was born. Despite years of training, competition, and volatility, the friendship has endured and grown.

As Schmidt says it, their paths kept crossing over the years. With each meeting, the Biles-Schmidt bond grew stronger. They even performed together in London at the Superstars of Gymnastics show. It is hard to be a gymnast and not respect or admire Simone Biles. As Schmidt himself puts it, “She’s so talented. That’s not normal.” Their friendship, built on mutual respect and admiration over time, grew to become what it is today.

The friendship eventually reached a point where Biles and Schmidt used to often chat on FaceTime and catch up at competitions. It was during one of these chats that Biles extended the invitation: she wanted Schmidt on the Gold Over America Tour. “After Antwerp, after her comeback, we talked more and more—often on FaceTime,” Schmidt said. “And then she asked me if I wanted to join the show.” For Casimir Schmidt, this was a dream come true and an opportunity of a lifetime.

Schmidt, of course, accepted the offer. Not only did it bring him closer to a friend, but it also allowed him to put on a show on a stage that has a majority of American athletes. Post-tour, he even took it to Instagram and wrote, “The most amazing 2 months I’ve ever had 🥹 Memories that we’ve made on this trip will last a lifetime ❤️ I can’t thank you enough @simonebiles for inviting me on the show and for making it all happen in  general.” While this was an opportunity for Casimir Schmidt, it was also one for Biles.

Simone Biles had the opportunity to show GOAT as a global event rather than an American one. At that time, especially when Biles’ retirement talks were everywhere, the bold step was a message in itself. This was a moment of reclamation for her. So now that GOAT is over, the talks of retirement are back in the air. What’s next for the queen?

GOAT might be over, but Biles is far from done!

The Gold Over America Tour has ended, but Simone Biles is not slowing down. Biles is in a sport where longevity is a big question. Historically, before the 1980s, the minimum age requirement for senior Olympic gymnasts was 14. This meant that early competitions saw women who were usually in their teens and twenties take home all-around wins. There were, of course, legends like Larisa Latynina and Věra Čáslavská who defied ageism. Today, Biles is reclaiming that legacy and is one among them!

At the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles did not just win the all-around old. She became the oldest woman to become a champion since Maria Gorokhovskaya won in 1952. Biles, in her documentary, even spoke about how aging has limited her body and made her ever so cautious every time she is on the mat. In the documentary, she even goes on to say, “Since I’m older, my body is on a ticking time bomb.” But when have challenges slowed down, Biles?

In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she went on to clear the air once and for all. “We’re (athletes) just so used to it, and I truly believe it freaks us out when we have to pause, slow down, or stop. We’re like, what’s next, what’s next? Let’s keep it going and keep up the momentum,” said Biles. The Gold Over America Tour might be over, but the OG GOAT, Simone Biles, is not slowing down. The world will catch her on her next adventure!