Watching Simone Biles dazzle crowds at the Paris Olympics will always be an emotional experience. After watching her heartbreaking exit from the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, it almost felt rewarding. The 27-year-old brought home 4 Olympic medals—3 golds and 1 silver. However, while she successfully concluded her ‘Redemption Tour’ in the City of Light, many were surprised to see a different side of the G.O.A.T.

One of them was Great Britain’s Becky Downie. The gymnast spoke to Molly McElwee on an episode of Off The Bench. While discussing the 32-year-old’s stint at the Games in Paris, the conversation naturally deviated to the 11x Olympic medalist. McElwee asked what she thinks about the Olympian’s influence on the sport’s culture. “We would have never been able to reach the greatness of her career if these changes, I don’t believe, didn’t happen because she needed that fun and that element to have a normal life to be able to thrive in the way that I think that she has,” she stated. 

Simone Biles looked stoic, focusing on what she had to do next at the Bercy Arena. But fans also witnessed the gymnast have fun as she cheered her compatriots on during the qualifications and finals. The gymnast even shared an iconic moment with Jordan Chiles as they bowed to Rebeca Andrade at the podium after the women’s floor finals. In fact, during the women’s vault qualification, the gymnast seemed to have injured herself during a warm-up vault. The onlookers seemed more concerned. But she crawled on all fours as she smiled wide before rising to her feet and hopping away.

Becky Downie continued, “Growing up in the sport, honestly, like we’re really led to believe for such a long time that you train, and you compete, and that’s it. Like you can’t have boyfriends; they’re distractions. You can’t go out to parties. You can’t stay up late.” However, the 7x Olympian’s way of life seemed like such a breath of fresh air. The 32-year-old added. “And I think Simone (Biles) was able to bring that as in that actually she’s so good, and look how much fun she’s having at the same time.” How did this come about? A few months before the Olympian left an indelible mark on the mat at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she shared a fun update on Instagram.

Simone Biles shared a boomerang of a greasy pepperoni pizza captioned, “Happiness.” As simple as that seemed, it was the first crack in a strong foundation of what many truly believed an elite gymnast should be like. Downie elaborated on how the G.O.A.T. found a way to incorporate a twist to the sport. “I think also for her personality, it needed to be fun to keep her in the sport.” The gymnast stated that there wasn’t any need for the 27-year-old to stay in the sport if she didn’t want to, but this possibly keeps her going. How did the 7x Olympic gold medalist keep things light and fresh in Paris? 

Simone Biles shares a slice of her life in the City of Light

Apart from turning heads with her impeccable skills on the mat, the 27-year-old’s witty responses to fans have always kept things interesting. However, the gymnast was a completely different person at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She almost seemed more open and excited. Apart from cheering on her teammates throughout, the gymnast shocked fans when she clinched the all-around title again after the 2016 Rio Olympics.

No, her winning wasn’t surprising. It’s what she did next. Simone Biles walked off the mat after flawlessly executing her final apparatus for the night. But then she immediately ran to her things. Her best friend Jordan Chiles hyped her up as the 27-year-old put on a dainty necklace. If you were expecting the Olympic rings pendant she usually sports, you’re in for a surprise. The Olympian’s necklace had a three-dimensional goat pendant encrusted with 546 diamonds! 

The gymnast gave us several iconic moments at the Bercy Arena. But some of them came after she concluded her third Olympic berth. Shortly after becoming the most decorated US gymnast in history, the Olympian decided to celebrate with her sister, Adria Biles. Where did they go? They took the party to the l’Arc club. The gymnast had the time of her life, even sharing a clip featuring Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’, showcasing a sign, ‘Gym legend Simone Biles.’ 

However, her hilarious caption was the star. “The reason I’m unwell this morning,” Simone Biles stated. She even shared a black-and-white video of herself and Adria vibing to Waka Flocka Flame’s ‘Grove St. Party.’ The Olympian captioned the fun video, “If you see me out at the club, pls tell me to go home. For my own sake & health in the AM.” The 27-year-old has never shied away from sharing moments from her life. Maybe that’s what makes the sport stand out so much. It’s not just her skills; it’s her unabashed personality, as well. Don’t you agree?