Shannon Miller couldn’t be more proud of Simone Biles dethroning her as the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympics history.
“I am so happy. My heart is full because I know, as an athlete, what it takes to win a gold medal, and these ladies have been through it all on the road to get here,” Miller, 47, told NBC News after Biles, 27, and Team USA won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s gymnastics team final on Tuesday, July 30.
Noting that Biles has “four more chances of medaling” during the Paris Games, Miller suggested that what’s more important than her winnings is the fact she is “inspiring the next generation of athletes to go for more than they ever imagined.”
Miller famously took home seven medals — three bronze, two silver and two gold — while competing at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics in Barcelona and Atlanta, respectively. Team USA’s win on Tuesday earned Biles her eighth Olympic medal and the group’s first of the Paris Games.
Simone Biles Becomes the Most Decorated U.S. Olympic Gymnast
Biles and her teammates — Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey — maintained a lead throughout Tuesday’s competition, which ended with Italy earning the silver medal and Brazil winning the bronze. First-time Olympian Hezley Rivera did not qualify for any individual events but still received gold with the team.
“They won by almost six points. It was a little ridiculous, but their difficulty level is so high,” Miller said of the team. “When you watch Simone do a triple twisting double back, I mean, my mind explodes thinking of the air awareness involved in that, so it really is something special.”
According to Miller, the group’s competition leotard paid homage to the leotards she and her teammates wore at the ’96 Olympics. “And our ’96 leotards were a throwback to the ’84 team, so it is just history,” she added.
At the previous Summer Games in Tokyo, Biles pulled out of several events after experiencing the “twisties,” a term used to describe when gymnasts lose control during competition. Lee, 21, has also experienced health issues since winning gold in the Tokyo all-around competition, having battled two kinds of kidney disease before heading to Paris.
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“Suni did such an awesome job, and she has such an amazing story with her health challenges coming into this event,” Miller gushed. “Her Tokyo Olympics was amazing, but she followed it up with a great collegiate career. And I think when you look at a team, it really does take everyone. It takes everyone on that team to really make it special. And that’s what we found with the Mag Seven and that’s what we found here tonight.”
Continuing to praise the team, Miller noted that the level of difficulty in the sport of gymnastics has changed “so much” since her days as an Olympian. “[They are like,] ‘Can I add another flip? Can I add another twist? Can I create something that no one’s ever done before?’ like Simone has done,” she stated. “And that’s what I love about gymnastics. There’s never an endpoint. It’s always getting bigger and better.”
Miller reacted to the team’s gold medal win via Instagram on Tuesday, writing, “They are an inspiration to so many who face obstacles and find a way to keep going and ultimately conquer that goal. CONGRATULATIONS!!!”
