Tom Cruise, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Ariana Grande and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour were among the celebrities in attendance at the Bercy Arena on Sunday to watch Simone Biles return to the Olympic gymnastics stage.
Biles, the most decorated athlete in history, is back for the third Games of her career after withdrawing from most of her events at the Tokyo 2021 Games due to mental health issues.
The athlete leads a team seeking redemption after the USA finished second in Tokyo, ending their hopes of completing a hat-trick of Olympic titles following success in 2012 and 2016.
“Fantastic”Cruz told Reuters. “Great stories, great athletes. It’s amazing what they’re doing.”. Legend and his wife, Christine Teigen, said there was no place they’d rather be.
“This was on our list. We wanted to make sure we came to this event.”they told Reuters. “They represent the best of America and we are so proud and excited for them. Let’s go USA.”.
The sellout came almost immediately when the U.S. team, which included four-time Olympic gold medalist Biles, was announced.
Biles abruptly withdrew from the team final at the Tokyo Games after suffering a temporary loss of spatial awareness while performing high-stakes exercises.
Today, however, he led his favorite team to the title, to the top of the standings and to Tuesday’s final.
“She’s so resilient”said NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald. “For her to be able to overcome that and get back into a position to do something is really remarkable.”.
Head coach Chelsea Memel said the team could handle the pressure of playing in front of a star-studded crowd. “When they enter the arena, they put on their blinders and focus on the job”he said.
“But feeling the amount of energy that the arena has pushes them to do even better. It gives them that extra boost, which I think is great.”.
A five-year-old Biles fan named Georgia, who was in the stands with her father, Alabama’s Andrew Pierce, said she plans to follow in her idol’s footsteps. “I exercise because when I grow up I will go to the Olympics”he said.
Source: Reuters