‘Embarrassed’ Simone Biles almost forgets major Olympic protocol moments before gymnastics final
Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, Twitter, Simone Biles
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images/BBC
Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, Twitter, Simone Biles
Simone Biles made a little mistake at the Paris Olympics this year and not a lot of people understand what it was that made her look so sheepish.
Biles, 27, has been going from strength to strength this week as she competes for gold for the US gymnastics team.
The athlete recently succeeded in moving to the final, with her teammate Suni Lee, after Jordan Chiles lost out by .067 points and divided opinion with her reaction.
According to Josina Anderson, a reporter for the NFL, who wrote on X: "Suni Lee deserved a better embrace from Jordan Chiles after edging Chiles for All-Around individuals.
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"I understand it’s a tough pill to swallow after putting on dynamic performances herself. I also understand that sometimes all of us need more time to process before putting on a face and acknowledging present circumstances.
"Still the camera is on, and she has to maintain her usual grace and well-known charisma wherever her results land in the standings."
However, the show must go on.
Before the final, Biles, Lee and their crew walked into the hall in a single file line as they waved to the crowd.
But Biles made a mistake when she forgot the Olympics protocol which made for a funny reaction.
As they made their way out to the Bercy Arena, Team USA strolled out in front of their national flag before their names were individually read out by commentators.
Biles led USA into the hall, but seemingly forgot about her protocol and instead tried to take a seat on the side of the arena.
It was only when she was just out of shot of the camera when one of her teammates shouted for her to come back.
That’s when Biles looked 'embarrassed' as she realised she’d made a mistake and hurried back to the line-up.
According to Matt Baker, a BBC commentator, she was supposed to salute the crowd.
He said: “She hasn’t been in the competition arena for a while and forgets to salute the crowd.
“Simone, there’s a lot of people here to see you!”
Craig Heap, who is a Commonwealth Games gold-winning gymnast added his two cents to the mix and said: “I think she’s just keen to get on with the competition!
“That proves how much she wants it. This USA team is absolutely remarkable, and the title is theirs to throw away in my opinion.”
Remarkable is just one way to put it as online commenters gushed about the team and Biles in particular during the Olympics.
One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Simone Biles is not a generational talent. She's so good that they had to create a new difficulty level to score her. She has multiple moves named after her. She's not a generational talent. She's the best to have ever existed. And we're all blessed to be able to witness it.”
Former US President, Barack Obama even weighed in: “Congrats to the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team for winning gold and to the GOAT @Simone_Biles for becoming the most decorated American gymnast in history!”
So, mistake or not, she’s got a great fan base to support her.