“I’m very excited, and I can’t wait for my team to be with me”, Biles said after receiving the honor on Saturday. She won five medals this Olympics, four golds and a bronze, in the process redefining what many believed possible in the sport of gymnastics.
Advertisement
“It’s an incredible honor to be selected as the flag bearer by my Team USA teammates”, Biles said.
Biles is only the second American gymnast to carry the flag in an opening or closing ceremony after Alfred Jochim in 1936. “I also wish to thank the city of Rio de Janeiro, and the entire country of Brazil, for hosting an incredible Games”. Mickey and Minnie Mouse probably don’t get stopped for as many photos at Disneyland as Biles did while she was trying to carry the flag.
It was a light moment at the end of a U.S. Olympic Committee news conference wrapping up these games, which are now down to a handful of medals to be won on Sunday. She’s one of only four women, and the first American, to win four golds in a single Olympics. During the Games, Simone won Gold in Vault, Floor and All-Around, and also took home 1st with the rest of the Final Five in the Team event.
We can not wait to see what’s next for Simone (Dancing With The Stars, perhaps?), but for now, we have a feeling she’s going to be riding the high of Rio for plenty of time to come!
The 19-year-old Biles is elated and thankful for the opportunity.
Advertisement
The Rio Olympics’ closing ceremony will be aired on NBC at 8 p.m. ET Sunday.
