(See podium training video below)
Simone Biles was spotted making some of her final training preparations in Paris as she's scheduled for her big debut over the weekend, marking the start of what could be an Olympic comeback that is nothing short of incredible.
Biles and the U.S. women's gymnastics team practiced their routines Thursday ahead of qualifying this weekend, where they will begin their quest to reclaim gold as Russia remains ineligible to take part in team sports.
Biles exceled in her podium practice, showing off some of what fans will see during the days of competition in Paris.
Watch her full training below:
Biles made headlines during the 2020 competition when she discovered she had the twisties and withdrew from the team final and individual all-around to focus on her mental health. She bounced back before competition ended, though, and walked away with a bronze medal in the balance beam to go along with silver in the team event.
After a two-year hiatus, Biles, 27, proved to be just as dominant in her 2023 return to the international stage as she was at her first Olympics in 2016. She won the individual all-around title at the gymnastics world championships in October and breezed through last month's U.S. Olympic trials.
Now her sights are set on an Olympic performance unlike any other.
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Gymnastics is traditionally one of the most popular of the Games, but seeing Biles make her return will undoubtedly raise the stakes this year.
Biles is slated to make her first appearance at the 2024 Olympics Sunday.
Her Chicago Bears-player husband will be in attendance at the Games to cheer her on. He told reporters in Chicago Thursday that he's excited for Biles to have her moment.
"I just think about, how did I get so lucky that this is my life and I get to see her, you know, just someone that's at the pinnacle of their sport and I get to call this my wife?" Jonathan Owens said.
Owens is excused from Bears' training camp from July 29 through Aug. 3, so he’ll still have the opportunity to watch Biles in several events.
He noted that while he is nervous for his wife, his nerves come from a place of love.
"Anytime you get nervous it's because you care. It's such a tough sport and she does things that no one else can do so I'm always nervous, praying for her safety and praying for a clear head that she can go out there and continue to do what she does," he said.
On the women’s side, Biles will be joined by her U.S. teammates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carrey and Hezley Rivera.
