Simone Biles announces a new devastator see more š šĀ
Simone Biles announces a new devastator see more š šĀ Pittsburgh ā Pittsburgh (AP) ā Simone Biles simply wanted to mix when the gymnastics superstar invited some of the best American men to join her post -Olympic tour. āBringing guys on board was designed to show what male gymnastics has to offer,ā said Biles. āAnd…
Simone Biles announces a new devastator see more š šĀ
Pittsburgh ā Pittsburgh (AP) ā Simone Biles simply wanted to mix when the gymnastics superstar invited some of the best American men to join her post -Olympic tour.
āBringing guys on board was designed to show what male gymnastics has to offer,ā said Biles. āAnd I just think over the years, weāve kind of gotten to know the guys, but we donāt really know them, we donāt know them.ā
That may be starting to change.
The United Statesā bronze medal at the Paris Games ā with equestrian Stephen Nedorczykās performance as an exclamation point ā has shone a spotlight on a side of the sport that usually remains in the shadows. While Nedoroscik, who later went viral, has parlayed her newfound fame into performing on āDancing With The Stars,ā her Olympic teammates Frederick Richard, Brody Malone and Paul Judah, as well as NCAA champion-turned-influencer Ian Gunther, are spending most of the fall traveling the country with Biles and fellow gold medalists Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera in a show thatās equal parts exhibition and celebration.
The co-ed nature of the second iteration of the Gold Over America Tour ā a not-so-subtle nod to Bilesā status as the greatest gymnast of all time ā has given the show a different energy than the first, which was entirely focused on women. Biles praised Richard and his company for stepping out of their comfort zones and diving into the performance aspects of the show, which required 12-hour long rehearsals to prepare.
āWe took a risk and brought in athletes,ā Biles said. āBut the outcome has been absolutely amazing. And you have the kids in the crowd chanting āIan! Ian!ā āFredrick! Fredrick!ā and thatās just so cool.ā
The 20-year-old Richardās long-term goal has always been to make menās gymnastics matter, a daunting proposition in an era when support at the NCAA Division I level ā the prime feeder into the U.S. Olympic program ā has never been more tenuous.
There is an urgency to turn the splash of notoriety the men earned in Paris into something more sustainable. There have been early signs of progress, most notably an influx of young boys across the country rushing to join their local gym. This is just the start. So too will a two-month intercontinental tour, the show opens in Philadelphia on Friday and New York on Saturday, with a schedule that includes the newly minted bronze medal and, not least, the tacit approval of the U.S. Olympic movement. āItās not really like weāre a āpathetic case,āā Richard said. āIt seems like (weāre) on the same level (as women).ā
Thatās intentional and also in recognition of Bilesā significant influence. The 27-year-old has reached a level of fame where anything she does, from watching her husband, Jonathan Owens, play for the Chicago Bears, to sharing it on social media, is potentially newsworthy, whether she likes it or not.
āWe know that if we do anything, itās going to get attention,ā she said. āBut I just ignore it and go about my day, but I know itās attracting attention.ā
The 11-time Olympic medallist and first athlete in more than 50 years to win the all-around title twice is in no rush to make any definite decisions about her future in the sport. Now sheās focused on relaxing and enjoying this chapter of her life before moving on to the next one.
āI have to go to the US Open (tennis tournament),ā she said. āI have to go to the first WNBA game. Itās like supporting the people who supported me. It was really exciting. And now I have more free time, which Iām really enjoying.
This fall, she and Owens plan to move into a house theyāre building in Houstonās northern suburbs. Sheās infusing her own image, style and culinary preferences into Taste of Gold, which is scheduled to open at Houston Intercontinental Airport early next year. She could also potentially return to the Simone Biles series āBrave,ā which premieres in the summer of 2022. Biles also wants to return to the Olympics, or at least the Winter Olympics, after her time with ski star Mikaela Shiffrin. But donāt expect Biles to strap on a pair of skis and follow Shiffrin down the slope.
āI canāt stand the cold. I mean that I now have a warm manual, in each pocket, ā laughing Bilz, leaving one from the left pocket of his jacket as proof. āThey say:ā You have to go to the Winter Olympic Games. āBe hot, it would be great.ā