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Ahead of Packers’ Wild Card Face-Off, Simone Biles Cries ‘Hurt’ Over Coach’s Cheers

Radha Iyer
Published

“End of an Era”: Simone Biles Bids Adieu to Coach Cecile Landi for Her New Chapter in Life

When the Green Bay Packers began packing in a punch at the NFL showdown, many crowned Simone Biles as husband Jonathan Owens’ lady luck. Having religiously attended all his matches, the star gymnast has been the team’s biggest cheerleader this season. But a new face-off with a familiar foe is coming in soon, and Biles has declared war.

The Packers’ recent round against the Chicago Bears was a massive success with a 17-9 score. Throughout this, Biles took the internet by storm with her constant cheers for the team and her husband. However, upon seeing that their team was pitted against Dallas for the next wildcard face-off, the gymnast was quick to side with her new team. Only to see her coach pick the other side.

Gymnast coach Cecile Landi has been Biles’ biggest support system through all highs and lows. Both she and her husband Laurent Landi have mentored the star gymnast for years, and celebrated with her during her biggest milestones. However, when it came to supporting their favorite NFL team, the coach and protege chose different paths. And now, with the Packers expected to lock horns with the Cowboys, Landi and Biles stood up for their respective favorites, much to the gymnast’s chagrin.

In a series of Instagram stories, where the gymnast cheered for the Packers with various chants, one of them featured her warning the Dallas Cowboys. She shared a poster with the caption:

“We are coming for you Dallas”

 

 

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A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)

Immediately, coach Landi shared a similar poster, declaring her support for the Cowboys. What added a friendly salt to the burn was tagging her protege with a rhetorical apology. Biles quickly caught on to the aimed hit and wrote:

“hurt……..”

All in good humor, the coach and mentee share a close bond. In fact, it was Landi who pushed the Olympic hero to return to the international stage after her hiatus.

Simone Biles and coach Landi’s relationship strengthens as Paris Olympics gets closer

The Olympics isn’t a touchy subject anymore for the star gymnast, who spent two years away from the limelight. And when she decided to return to the bars and beams, coach Landi provided the healthy push that Biles needed to get back on track on her terms.

Eventually, coach Landi was able to convince the star gymnast to at least give the Olympics rehearsal a go. Although it did take a bunch of margaritas to bribe Biles, as the coach playfully put it, the preparations are in full swing. Whether Biles makes it to the final team or not, however, remains a mystery.

About the author

Radha Iyer

Radha Iyer

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Radha Iyer is a US Sports writer at The SportsRush. With a Master's degree in Media and Communication, and a background in content creation and production, sports journalism has been a part and parcel of her demonstrated history in the said field. Olympic sports hold a special place in her heart, and she is particularly interested in sports like track and field, gymnastics, and swimming. She also draws inspiration from legendary athletes like Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, and many more.

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