Simone Biles has been the pride of America since 2016 when she competed in her first Olympic competition. Ever since, fans have watched on in wonder as she routinely pulled off superhuman acrobatics. This year, she’s been blowing the competition out of the water in Paris. While she’s wowing in every element of her rotation, it’s her floor routine that has been on the forefront of everyone’s mind.
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While the star in that performance is certainly Biles’ powerhouse tumbling, it’s made even more iconic with the help of another woman who has been dominating her field: Taylor Swift. The pair have been linked for several years now, passing compliments back and forth. With their friendship culminating in a gold-winning floor routine, we thought it apt to reminisce. Here’s how Swift became an integral part of Biles’ Olympic journey.
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How Taylor Swift Became an Integral Part of Simone Biles’ Olympics Journey
2016-2017
Like the rest of the country, Swift was glued to her TV watching the “Final Five” dominate women’s gymnastics. She publicly supported the team of social media. Among that team was Biles. Though it was her first Olympic competition, she took home multiple medals. It was the start of her journey to being heralded as the greatest gymnast ever.
The following year, Biles met Swift at a Super Bowl party. She posted a photo of the pair along with the caption, “Always a joy watching you perform, nice to finally meet you.”
2020
At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Biles withdrew from competition. It was a shocking moment for viewers who had come to know Biles as a sort of superhuman force. The moment saw Biles vulnerably discuss mental health. It was a brave moment from an athlete that had the whole world watching her.
As with anything happening in the public eye, the response to Biles withdrawing from competition was mixed. Swift had a few choice words in response to those criticizing the gymnast.
“What do we want from our heroes,” Swift said at the time, in defense of Biles. “What do we expect of them? What do we need from them? What happens when they surprise us? When you have the attention of the world, everything you do takes on a bigger meaning. It can be a heavy burden. It can be a chance to change everything. Throughout the last week, her voice has been as significant as her talents, her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature. But don’t you see? It still is. She’s perfectly human. And that’s what makes it so easy to call her a hero.”
Biles responded in kind, writing, “I’m crying how special, I love you.”
2021
Soon after, Biles returned the reverence, presenting Swift with an award.
“I can’t even begin to express how much I adore Taylor and her music,” Biles said at the time. “And let me tell you, folklore isn’t the only amazing thing she did during this ongoing pandemic. She’s shown incredible grace and generosity to so many of her fans in need, including me. During the 2020 Olympics, she reached out. But she also did something so incredibly special for me that I’ll never forget.”
2024
Biles has made use of Swift’s music in her “redemption tour” at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She proved she is indeed “…Ready For It?” with her floor routine. The use of Swift’s music made her tumbling pass even more effective–if that is even possible.
Swift responded to the performance saying, “Watched this so many times and still unready. She’s ready for it tho.” It’s the perfect combination between two American icons. Watch Biles’ gold-winning floor routine, below.
(Photo by Sarah Yenesel/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
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