Last month, Simone Biles delivered an epic floor routine at the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials—complete with Taylor Swift-inspired choreography and a stunning triple-double. And now, at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the proud Swiftie is paying yet another subtle tribute to the pop star.
In case you missed it, the 27-year-old athlete executed a near-flawless routine on the uneven bars during the qualifying round for the women’s team gymnastics, despite suffering a minor calf injury during her warmups. But as much as I admired her resilience and impressive skills, there was something else that caught my eye after she completed her final event.
Per usual, the proud athlete waved to the crowds and embraced fellow teammates on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, but she also made a familiar heart-hand gesture—one that’s become quite common for Swift and her loyal fans.
The classic hand-heart gesture was popularized by Swift in 2011, when she first tested it out with a live audience at one of her first shows. She told the New York Times, “I was an unknown act playing shows night after night, and I was constantly trying out all kinds of different moves to try and get a response from the audience.”
Fortunately, showing the heart symbol prompted fans to copy the gesture. And now, more than a decade later, it’s being done by major athletes, musicians and even royals, including Kate Middleton.
Biles’s subtle nod to Swift comes as no surprise, given how the pair has publicly supported one another in the past. In fact, this past June, Swift praised Biles’s impressive floor routine, which was set to her song, “…Ready For It?” She tweeted, “Watched this so many times and still unready. She’s ready for it tho”
Considering Biles’s spot-on performances so far, I couldn’t agree more. She delivered a solid performance on the balance beam, which earned her a 14.733. Then, she put on quite the show for her dazzling floor exercise (14.666), followed by her trademark Yurchenko double pike on the vault (15.300). Finally, she stole the show with her spectacular routine on the uneven bars, scoring 14.433 and pushing her team to the lead during qualifications.
Biles and her team are set to compete once again on Tuesday, July 30. And something tells me this won’t be the last time I see Biles pulling a Taylor Swift.
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Source: The Wall Street Journal
