In a delightful role reversal at the Paris Olympics, gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles found herself on the other side of a fan encounter, experiencing firsthand what it’s like to be starstruck. The unexpected meeting occurred in a Team USA elevator, where Biles came face-to-face with tennis players Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.
Biles, known for her composure on the gymnastics floor, admitted to feeling flustered during the encounter. “You know when you meet someone and you’ve seen them on TV, there’s a feeling like you know them?” she explained in a recently published Vogue interview.
Biles, who admitted to a newfound obsession with sports documentaries, expressed amazement at the chance meeting.”I never understood that,” she said, referring to the surreal experience of encountering sports celebrities in person.
“But recently, I’ve been watching so many sports docuseries, and when I got on the Team USA elevator a few days ago, [the tennis players] Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul were inside.“
The gymnast, who had recently watched the Netflix series Break Point featuring the top tennis players as they travel across the globe for all four Grand Slams and the ATP and WTA tours, found herself as an excited fan. Biles recounted while laughing at her reaction, saying,
“I got on the elevator like, ‘hi guys!’ Like I knew them!“
And realizing her enthusiasm might have been misplaced, Biles quickly backtracked.
“I turned around so awkwardly and I go, ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I just did what people do to me. You guys don’t know who I am.“
While Biles found herself starstruck by tennis stars, her own star power attracted celebrity attention at the Olympics, creating moments of mutual admiration.
Celebrities and sports icons cheer for Biles at the Olympics
Hollywood actress Gabrielle Union-Wade was spotted cheering for Biles during her floor routine, causing the gymnast to do a double-take mid-performance. The USA men’s basketball team, who had previously expressed their desire to watch Biles compete, were also seen in the stands.
The support extended beyond the entertainment industry, with rap icons Flavor Flav and Snoop Dogg making waves across the internet with their consistent support for the American contingent. Swimming legend Michael Phelps was also seen cheering for his fellow athletes.
As a part of a post-victory surprise, actress Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order fame met with Biles’ fellow teammates, Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee, to create a memorable highlight for the young gymnasts.
Hollywood star Taraji P. Henson, who accompanied Union-Wade to the Olympics, later revealed on The Jimmy Fallon Show how stunned she was watching the gymnastics GOAT in action.
