You’d think becoming the most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history would earn an athlete a big break — but Simone Biles didn’t become the GOAT by taking days off.
Biles, 27, is already back in the gym after winning three gold and one silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The gymnast shared a photo of her “first day back” to her Instagram Story on Saturday, August 24. Along with the announcement of her return, Biles added an eyes emoji to the photo of the World Champions Center in suburban Houston.
Biles has been back in Texas for nearly two weeks. On August 12, she shared on Instagram that she was “home” and enjoying the sunset of her backyard pool. Biles shared a photo from her bed and wrote that she has “never been so happy.”
Biles deserved every minute of her brief break. In Paris, she won gold in the individual all-around, the balance beam and the vault. Biles shared what was going through her head as she landed a Yurchenko double pike vault to seal the win.
“Right now I’m thinking, ‘Don’t trip, don’t trip,” she shared while watching her final routine back alongside NBC commentators. “Once I landed on my feet, I was just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I just did it!’ I was so excited. I couldn’t believe this moment right here actually.”
She also placed first in the team all-around, as part of an incredible showing for the women of Team USA. If the women of Team USA were their own country, they would have had the third-highest medal count of any nation — a fact that Biles lauded on social media.
It hasn’t all been high-fives and hugs since the Olympics ended, however. The controversy around teammate Jordan Chiles‘ bronze medal in floor exercise has cast Biles in the role of shoulder to cry on.
Chiles’ third-place win was eventually overturned upon review and the bronze was officially awarded to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu. Biles shared her support publicly on Instagram earlier this month.
“Sending you so much love Jordan,” Biles wrote via Instagram Story on August 10. “Keep your chin up, Olympic champ! We love you!”
The conclusion of the Paris Olympics didn’t bring an end to the coverage of Biles. She’ll return to the small screen in October when the second part of her Simone Biles Rising docuseries premieres on Netflix. The first two episodes follow Biles as she trains for her return to the Olympics following her sudden departure at the Tokyo 2020 games, and the fall episodes will cover her victories in Paris.
