UPDATE (7/29/2021 @ 6:20 pm EST): Jonathan shared a lengthier tribute for Simone via his own Instagram account just days later, praising her “strength” and “courage” alongside a photo of her competing which you can see here. “Imma ride with you through whatever baby…Your strength and courage is unmatched and you inspire me more and more everyday SB,” he wrote, along with heart emojis. “You always gone be my champ baby and don’t you ever forget that, i love you so much and i can’t wait till you come home and i get to see that beautiful smile again. You know I’m always here for you baby,” the football player also wrote, including several photos of the two together.
Jonathan Owens is proud of girlfriend Simone Biles following her withdrawal from the team finals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The celebrated gymnast, 24, withdrew from the women’s gymnastics team finals on Tuesday, explaining that she needed to focus on her mental health. The team finished with a silver medal win — and when Simone celebrated her fellow teammates, her boyfriend, 26, offered words of support.
“OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALISTS,” Simone captioned a post with teammates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Grace McCallum. “I’m SO proud of these girls right here. You girls are incredibly brave & talented! I’ll forever be inspired by your determination to not give up and to fight through adversity!” Adding that “they stepped up when I couldn’t,” the gymnast added, “thanks for being there for me and having my back! forever love y’all.”
Her boyfriend left a supportive comment that read, “I’m so proud of y’all.”
The four-time Olympic gold medalist told reporters on Tuesday that she needed to “take a step back” to prioritize her well-being. “After the performance that I did, I didn’t want to go into the other events, so I thought I would take a step back,” she said, referencing her struggles on the vault. “I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being.”
Simone was promptly replaced by Jordan, who stepped in on the uneven bars and balance beam. She pulled in 14.166 on uneven bars and 11.7 on the floor routine after suffering a fall. Following Simone’s withdrawal, she received support from Hoda Kotb, fellow gymnast Aly Raisman, and more public figures. Hoda called Simone a “class act,” while Aly supported her fellow gymnast and said she was simply “human” during an interview with TODAY.
“I think that Simone is the biggest story going into the Olympics, so this is just — it’s really, really devastating,” Aly said. “But I think it’s also just really important to think about how much pressure has been on her, and there’s only so much that someone can take. She’s human, and I think sometimes people forget that. And Simone, just like everyone else, is doing the best that she can.”