Fans Loved Simone Biles’s Petty Salute to Judges During Women’s Floor Final

Kristen Wong | Aug 5, 2024

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Simone Biles proudly wears two crowns in the Paris Olympics this summer: one for being the G.O.A.T. of women’s gymnastics, and one for being an absolute petty queen.

Biles, who celebrated the U.S. women’s gymnastics squad’s golden team final win with a vicious shot at a former teammate, was seemingly up to more trolling shenanigans on the last day of gymnastics at the Games.

During Biles’s performance in the balance beam final early Monday morning, she received a 0.3 point penalty for not saluting the judges after her routine. The deduction ultimately didn’t matter, as Biles finished with a score of 13.1, 0.9 points away from a bronze-medal finish.

Hours later, when Biles competed in the women’s floor final, she would give the judges a salute they couldn’t look away from. 

After Biles finished her routine, she held her salute all the way until she stepped off the mat. Biles’s husband, Jonathan Owens, seemed to suggest her extended salute was a petty gesture directed at the judges. 

“Making sure they don’t miss it this time!” Owens wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Making sure they don’t miss it this time!!!!! 😂❤️ I love you so much baby, so proud 🤞🏽 https://t.co/MFz9SfGHWp

— Jonathan Owens (@jjowens_3) August 5, 2024

Fans loved it, too.

Simone Biles’ petty salute! A GOAT she is! 🫶🏼 #Paris2024 #gymnastics pic.twitter.com/qZewVVXIS3

— vera⁴ (@ddreamypisces) August 5, 2024

Like a scene out of "Stick It" Simone stuck the Biles and surely held that salute to the judges long enough! 😉🥰

— Kathy Johnson Clarke, OLY ☮️💜🌏 (@kathyjohnsongym) August 5, 2024

LOL SIMONE BILES WITH THE BIGGEST SALUTE OF ALL TIME HAHAHAHA

— Eliza Barr (@ElizaJBarr) August 5, 2024

Simone Biles is exactly the same kind of petty as me, holding her salute all the way down the stairs after she got a deduction for it on beam. Love her.

— Molly (@mollyfleck) August 5, 2024

@Simone_Biles hold your floor salute for 25 seconds challenge

— Courtney McGregor OLY (@courtneymcgym) August 5, 2024

Pettiness aside, Biles’s jaw-dropping floor routine earned her a silver medal finish behind the ever-talented Rebeca Andrade from Brazil. Biles is now the second-most decorated women’s gymnast in Olympic history with 11 medals. She earned four of those in Paris, taking home three gold medals from the team final, individual all-around final and vault final, and one silver medal from Monday’s event.