Simone Biles’ Husband Jonathan Owens Finally Makes His Gymnastics Meet Debut After NFL Restrictions

Finally! Every Simone Biles fan can now be at peace. May 18th, in Hartford, Connecticut, the U.S. Classic united past and future stars of American gymnastics. This event marked the first step toward the Olympic trials in Minneapolis later this summer. And of course, Biles dazzled in a pink, glittering leotard, while making her debut for the season. However, people were shocked to see her husband, Jonathan Owens, there!

This was the first time since their marriage that Owens attended Biles’s event. Remember how he couldn’t attend Biles’ comeback after the twisties incident because of work commitments? At that time, he was part of the Green Bay Packers. In contrast, the gymnast has attended many NFL games to support her husband.

However, now that he has embarked on a new journey in his career, securing a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears, the dynamic has shifted. Recently, Team USA shared a post on Instagram featuring three captivating pictures of the gymnast. In the first two snapshots, she exuded confidence while adorned in a stunning GK Elite leotard. The third image captured a tender moment as she passionately kissed Jonathan Owens before stepping onto the stage while he sat in the stands cheering her.

He finally made it to her competition. However, in an episode of the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast last month, Simone Biles was asked about her anticipation for Jonathan Owens’ presence in the upcoming Olympics. Biles expressed a blend of hope and excitement, saying, “Hopefully he gets to go because that’s usually like their training camp. And he’s working on a new contract, so hopefully he’ll work in his new contract. At least like two days. Yeah. Like even if it’s like…personal day.”

She hinted at the potential flexibility with the Chicago Bears, adding, “Some teams are really, really nice about like if you work with their family relations, some are more family-oriented than others. So fingers crossed we’ll get to see him in the stands.”

The Chicago Bears also appear to be very supportive and welcoming, especially towards Simone Biles. On her birthday, the Bears shared a tweet saying, “Happy birthday to the newest Bears fan,” signaling their enthusiasm and an effort towards a positive relationship with her. However, Jonathan was not this lucky on many of the previous occasions.

Depending on their teams, NFL players have to face huge fines if they miss the practice session. And the financial loss is significant. Because of this, last year Jonathan missed two of the most important events in Simone’s career after he secured a deal with the Green Bay Packers right after their marriage. The first one was the US Classic Championships. After that, in a question-and-answer session on Simone’s Instagram, she was asked, “Is Jonathan able to come to your meets even with NFL training?” Simone’s reply revealed the harsh side of professional commitment.

“No. If he misses training he’ll either be cut or fined NFL fines the boys for everything,” the 27-year-old had said. The next miss was the World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. That was again a historic occasion for Simone since she got the YDP named after her, bringing back the moment from ten years back (2013), that snapped all the attention towards her. But what do the fines imposed by the NFL look like?

According to reports, undrafted players on rookie contracts might lose a whopping $40,000 penalty per day. For the players on the fifth-year option, the amount goes up to around $50,000. In case of on-field delays, it leads to a significant loss as well.

Players could get penalized $16,459 for the first day of a minicamp, $32,920 for the second day, and $49,374 for the third day under current agreement. It could be up to $50,000 per day during training camps and about $2M for veterans. Jonathan has had to play a balancing act ever since they got married to avoid these financial implications. This saw him cheering Simone Biles virtually.

During the World last year, Jonathan had passionately written, “I can’t wait to watch you back out there,” as Biles posted about her arrival in Antwerp. But this time, with Jonathan in the stands, the gymnastics queen seemed to have gotten some much-needed support and courage. That was evident at least once on the mats when she performed her YDP without Laurent Landi standing beside her, probably the first such instance. With all this, Simone Biles looks more than ready for Paris, with over two months remaining before the Olympics begin.

Simone Biles shines at U.S. Classic with a dominant performance

Simone Biles dazzled with an all-around score of 59.500, showcasing her mastery in various disciplines. She dominated the vault and floor exercises, displaying her unparalleled skills. Starting strong with a 14.550 on the balance beam, where she reigns as the world champion, she continued to impress. Notably, she executed a triple-twisting double salto on the floor exercise, a move named after her, marking its return since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Additionally, her flawless Yurchenko double pike on the vault, also bearing her name, earned her the highest score of the night at 15.600. Her coach, Laurent Landi, has been seen standing in close proximity on almost all the previous occasions whenever Simone Biles performed this. He has been seen doing it to ensure her safety in case there is a fall. It has also led to the deduction of points on many previous occasions since someone standing that close is against the gymnastics code of conduct. However, amidst her success, it seems that not everyone had a similarly favorable outcome.

Gabby Douglas struggled at the U.S. Classic, falling twice on uneven bars and withdrawing from the remaining events. Sunisa Lee competed in three events despite battling kidney issues, earning a 14.600 on the beam.

Further, Jordan Chiles came in third in the all-around with a score of 55.450, while Jade Carey placed fourth (54.400). Konnor McClain exited the competition with an Achilles injury suffered while warming up on floor exercise. With Core Hydration Classic setting the tone, the road to Paris is surely shaping up.