Simone Biles has been the GOAT of gymnastics for years, but let’s face it—at 27, time isn’t exactly on her side, and her participation in the next Olympics? Yeah, that’s still a big ol’ question mark. While she’s keeping fans on their toes, there’s a very real possibility she might not compete in LA. So, who’s going to step up and bring home the medals for Team USA? Enter 17-year-old Tiana Sumanasekera—a rising star who might just be the golden ticket they’re looking for.

Despite her young age, Tiana not only booked a place at this year’s Paris Olympics trials, but she also grabbed a non-traveling alternative spot for the team. The crowd couldn’t get enough of her, cheering wildly as she took the stage like she’d been there a hundred times before. On the final day, Tiana knew she had to bring her A-game, and she delivered! She succeeded as she almost completed the Yurchenko double twist on the vault and showed the crowd her triple series during the beam as they started cheering for her.

But her best performance came during the floor routine, as she performed like a gymnast who had loads of experience instead of a rookie. This made the crowd’s cheers for her even louder. And just when you thought the moment couldn’t get more perfect, Forbes reports that none other than Simone Biles stepped in with some advice.

Since they both train at the World Champions Centre, owned by Simone’s parents, the GOAT herself told Tiana to “get back up” and soak in the moment. It was touching to see the senior gymnast, who has achieved everything in the sport, guide the prodigy, who has the potential to replicate her.

This was a huge moment for the Junior Pan American Championship gold medalist, who has been one of the most talked about young gymnasts in the country, becoming the first gymnast of Sri Lankan descent to represent the U.S. in international competition. However, what made it even more special was the fact that Tiana considers Simone Biles her idol. She remembers herself at the age of nine, watching the Olympic gold medalist perform at the Rio Olympics trials.

Even though Tiana trains with Simone Biles almost every day, she is still totally starstruck by the gymnastics legend. Getting advice from Simone as an older mentor? That’s the kind of moment that sticks with you. Competing alongside Biles at the Paris trials made it all the more surreal for Tiana, and it was a huge milestone in her young career. If she keeps up this form, bigger things are definitely on the horizon. A spot in the LA Olympics? Looking pretty likely! But for now, Tiana’s got her eyes set on the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta.

She told Forbes, “To get there, I just need to stay very healthy, very smart about training, and kind of go with the flow.” Tiana can achieve her dreams. She also has the luxury of looking at Simone Biles, who looks to inspire the younger generation with every chance she gets.

How Simone Biles wants to inspire the younger generation through the Gold Over America tour

Simone Biles is currently bringing the gymnastics heat to each stop on the Gold Over America tour. After her heavily successful Paris Olympics campaign, she decided to organize the second edition of the tour, which was adored by the audience in 2021. All signs indicate the start of another successful event, as her performances in Oceanside and Phoenix were heavily praised.

However, Simone’s main motive in organizing the tour was a very noble one. Throughout the whole event, the gymnasts wanted to inspire the younger generation, who have the potential to take over the sport one day. The VIP package of the tour has an add-on, which is called the Gold Squad upgrade. With this add-on, audiences from the age of 7–25 could become a part of the performing squad and would perform in the final act of the evening.

For this, they would be taught the dance moves by the choreographer of the performance. It is a great opportunity for a budding gymnast, as they would perform in front of a large crowd for the first time, making them grow accustomed. Thus, it would help decrease any kind of nervousness they feel when they take part in larger competitions. Simone Biles taking this initiative is a great thing for the future of American gymnastics and only shows what a huge figure she has been for the sport.