During the U.S. Olympics Trials in June, Simone Biles called the Paris Olympics Team USA’s ‘Redemption Tour.’ The 27-year-old had made the difficult decision to step down from the women’s gymnastics team finals in the Japanese capital 3 years ago due to a debilitating case of the ‘twisties.’ The support she received outweighed the backlash thrown her way. But the tag of a ‘quitter’ stuck, further adding to her woes.

But they moved past that when Team USA finally achieved what they wanted—their first Olympic gold—in the French capital. After claiming 2 more golds at the Bercy Arena, she was back on the mat for one last event. Only this time, Rebeca Andrade edged her out for the top spot on the podium. Not only did we witness the first all-black podium in the sport, but Biles and Jordan Chiles, who came in third, made this historic moment even more iconic. The two ladies bowed to the Brazilian as she stepped on the podium, collectively tugging at all of our heartstrings.

One of them is the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. She was just as touched and praised the elite gymnasts for carrying themselves with grace. However, this isn’t the first time she has reached out to Biles. 3 years ago, the gymnast confessed on Today, “Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn’t an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time.” Obama extended an olive branch to the elite gymnast on X.

The G.O.A.T hadn’t initially shed some light on why she took such a bold move. However, she had been extremely vocal about looking after her mental health throughout the Games. The 27-year-old’s contention was up in the air initially due to an injury. After she had withdrawn from the Summer Games, the gymnast addressed everyone’s concerns and opened up. “At the end of the day, I have to do what was right for me. It just sucks that it happened at the Olympic Games.” When the going gets tough, the tough get’s going, right? But many didn’t seem to see it that way.

Several fans believed that she shouldn’t have stepped down and proceeded to call her “quitter of the year.” But Biles saw it all. Leading up to her third Olympic berth at the French capital, the gymnast addressed these tags via an ad launching the Coca-Cola sport’s drink Powerade. “I felt broken. That’s why I decided to take a pause….I had to prove all the haters wrong that I’m not a quitter.” Seeing how she walked away with 4 medals – 3 golds and 1 silver, it’s safe to say she did more than everyone bargained for.

Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles’ classy display at the women’s floor exercise finals

Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade have always enjoyed competing alongside each other. But they have are more than just rivals on the mat. The world has witnessed the two share beautiful moments at meets before, and they were hoping to witness just that at the Bercy Arena on August 5. While the G.O.A.T had already claimed 3 golds at the French capital, the Brazilian had only clinched silvers so far. However, it was going to be her lucky day!

Andrade’s enthralling routine had everyone’s jaws on the floor. With no room for errors, her flawless routine put her at the top of the table with a score 14.166. As she walked off the mat, everyone turned their attention to the 27-year-old. Even though her iconic routine would often get the crowds going, a few mistakes gave her a score 14.133, securing her first silver at the competition. Jordan Chiles snagged the last step on the podium. As the American gymnasts waited for the Brazilian’s name to be called, the two of them came up with an impromptu way to celebrate her win.

They went down on their knees, bowing to the 25-year-old stepped on to the top step, beaming with joy. They were hyping her up because she had to work through 3 ACL surgeries to get to this point. As the world celebrated this beautiful moment, Michelle Obama couldn’t help but chime in too! “I’m still not over this beautiful moment of sisterhood and sportsmanship! You can just feel the love shining through these ladies. Congrats Rebeca, Jordan and Simone! ✨” If we’re being honest, we won’t get over this iconic moment anytime soon either!