“I definitely have to apologize to Aly for calling her grandma because I feel like I’m way older now,” Biles said
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast ever, has officially made history by qualifying for her third Olympic Games. And now, at 27 years old, she has a different outlook on how she perceived friend and former team captain Aly Raisman, who was once dubbed the “grandma” of the team.
After qualifying for the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team on Sunday, June 30, Biles spoke with the press and the topic of her age — which makes her as one of the oldest gymnasts competing at the upcoming Summer Games — came up, prompting her to offer an apology to Raisman, who was just 22 when she was the team captain at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
So now, I definitely have to apologize to Aly for calling her grandma because, whew, I feel like I’m way older now than me calling her grandma when we were younger,” Biles said during the press conference, according to Gymnastics Now.
Eight years after her first Olympic Games in Rio, Simone Biles, 27, has an apology for her former team captain, Aly Raisman, who was dubbed “grandma” back then at just 22. 😅💀🤪#USAGTrials24 #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/f0bhUnZ8O3
— Gymnastics Now (@Gymnastics_Now) July 1, 2024
And you know, it’s what 11 [p.m.]? So, it’s definitely past my bedtime, so I know Aly would be cracking up right now. But yeah, it’s crazy. I’m a lot older and more mature. What was the rest of the question? See, I’m forgetting,” she continued, poking fun at herself.
As the senior member of Team USA, she also explained her recovery process and how differently her body feels now in comparison to the Rio Games eight years ago.
“I definitely have to take care of recovery mentally, physically. After Classics, I swore I couldn’t walk. I was like hobbling to the plane, so that was exciting. After Championships, I felt a little bit better and after day one of Trials, I was actually surprised I could walk. So I was like, ‘Woo, I’m actually not as sore, I’m not hurting,’ ” the gymnast said.
Biles continued, “So it takes a big part. So recovery, I just have to take a little bit more serious. Back in Rio, I could do anything. I’d never needed tape, nothing. I was just like a little hamster on a wheel, always ru
nning.”
