Simone Biles’s ‘Most Nervous’ Moment at Olympics Involved Tom Cruise

Kristen Wong | Sep 5, 2024

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

As the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history, Simone Biles has been through some pretty nerve-wracking moments. In the 2024 Paris Games, one stood out in particular—and it’s likely not what fans expected.

Biles, who was wearing a befitting G.O.A.T. necklace, joined Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Wednesday to discuss her time competing in Paris this past summer, and she opened up about the moment of the Games that made her the “most nervous.”

Fallon told Biles how cool it was that she got to carry the Olympic flag in the closing ceremony and give it to Hollywood star Tom Cruise, adding that the hand-off must have been stressful.

“I’m always tripping, falling down stairs, like, bad for me,” Biles said. “So actually, that’s like the most nervous I was for the whole entire Olympics. I was like, ‘Okay, I have to hand the flag off, don’t mess it up, don’t mess it up.’ I was terrified.”

Not performing her signature Yurchenko double pike move, not tackling the notoriously nervy balance beam routine. The Olympic flag hand-off with Cruise gave her the most anxiety. 

Here’s a series of photos from that special moment:

Love a moment in history! First woman to woman flag transfer from Paris to LA to commemorate the official hand-off. Let's go!

"It was an immense honor to participate in this moment of history and it was such a privilege to stand with @Simone_Biles – someone who has made the… pic.twitter.com/ctUDdMiMdX

— LA28 (@LA28) August 11, 2024

Biles also spoke briefly about competing in the 2028 Olympics and noted how “old” she was for gymnasts’ standards. However, her age isn’t stopping the 11-time Olympic medalist this year from traveling across the country for her “Gold Over America Tour” while also making time to see her husband Jonathan Owens’s Chicago Bears games.

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