Simone Biles, the renowned American gymnast, clinched her eighth Olympic medal during the 2024 Summer Games in Paris on Tuesday, marking a historic milestone.
Her husband, Jonathan Owens, who is a safety for the Chicago Bears, expressed immense pride and support for her remarkable achievement.
Owens, 29, arrived in Paris to support Biles, 27, who has five different skills named after her. He shared his excitement on Instagram, posting a carousel of photos on July 30, captioned, “Witnessing history every time you step on the mat 😍🔥.” One of the photos captured the couple sharing a kiss, with Owens proudly wearing Biles’ latest gold medal.
“Congrats baby on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!!! Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!!! So thankful I was there to see it ❤️🤍💙,” Owens concluded in his heartfelt caption. Biles responded in the comments, expressing her love and gratitude: “My whole heart. I love you ❤️❤️❤️❤️. Means the world you’re here.”
Despite his team being in training camp for the upcoming NFL season, Owens secured time off to support his wife. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus explained during a press conference on July 22 how Owens negotiated this exception. "Just because we respect the Olympics," Eberflus said, as reported by ESPN.
"That is a big deal. And he's just supporting the one he loves the most. And I think that's so cool that he gets to do that." Eberflus added, "We welcome that, and it's going to be awesome. Go USA."
Owens faced some challenges on his journey to Paris. In a joint Instagram post with NBC Sports, he mentioned a “slight delay” on his flight but assured followers that he was on his way.
Simone Biles’ influence extends beyond her performances. Nadia Comăneci, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, spoke to PEOPLE in March about Biles’ impact, stating, "She is given this opportunity to understand who you are and to break barriers and inspire the new generation. Every generation needs someone to inspire them and she is one of them."
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ