Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast ever, has officially made history by qualifying for her third Olympic Games. And now, at 27, she has a different take on how she felt about friend and former team captain Aly Raisman, who was once dubbed the “grandma” of the team.
After qualifying for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team on Sunday, June 30, Biles spoke with reporters and the topic of her age — making her one of the oldest gymnasts competing at the upcoming Summer Games — came up, prompting her to to apologize to Raisman, who was only 22 years old when she captained the team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“So now I definitely have to apologize to Aly for calling her grandma because, ugh, I feel like I’m a lot older now than when I called her grandma when we were younger,” Biles said during the press conference, according to Gymnastics now.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(711x120:713x122)/Aly-Raisman-In-Awe-Watching-Simone-Biles-Gymnastics-Comeback-011724-1-cff124a66a3241f6935296b55bd110d1.jpg)
From left: Simone Biles and Aly Raisman in 2016.
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
“And you know, that’s what 11 [p.m.]? So, it’s definitely past my bedtime, so I know Aly would be cracking up now. But yeah, it’s crazy. I am much older and more mature. What was the rest of the question? You see, I forget,” she continued mocking herself.
As a senior member of Team USA, she also explained her recovery process and how different her body feels now compared to the Rio Games eight years ago.
Aly Raisman ‘in awe’ watching Simone Biles’ gymnastics comeback: ‘So impressed and so proud’ (Exclusive)
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I definitely have to take care of my mental and physical recovery. After the classics, I swore I couldn’t walk. It was like I was limping to the plane, so that was exciting. After the championship I felt a little better, and after the first day of the ordeal I was actually surprised that I could walk. So I said, ‘Wow, I’m actually not that sore, I’m not in pain,'” the gymnast said.
Biles continued, “So it takes a big role. So recovery, I just have to take it a little more seriously. In Rio, I could do anything. I never needed tape, nothing. I was like a little hamster on a wheel, always running.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/us-gymnastics-team-paris-1-070124-60b89b79205a458092b24f19197b15b3.jpg)
From left: Jordan Chiles, Leanne Wong, Joscelyn Roberson, Jade Carey, Simone Biles, Hezly Rivera and Suni Lee.
Nikolas Liepins/Anadolu via Getty
Simone Biles shares sweet gifts from husband Jonathan Owens on a date ahead of the second round of the Olympic qualifiers
Biles maintained her lead during the U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials, and now, as she prepares for the Paris Games, she is only the fourth American ever to make three gymnastics teams.
The Olympics should also be redemption for her after suffering a debilitating case of the “twisties” in Tokyo 2021 and pulling out of most of her events.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.com and come to people.com to check out live coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics starting July 26 on NBC and Peacock.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education