The 27-year-old is primed to showcase her extraordinary talent and resilience, aiming to secure her first Olympic gold since Rio 2016. Biles’ return to the competitive arena is marked by rigorous training and a fierce resolve to overcome past challenges, as she looks to etch her name in history once more with a triumphant performance in the French capital.

Biles, the diminutive dynamo of gymnastics who will star in a Netflix series, stole the spotlight at Rio 2016 with gold medals in the all-around, vault, floor exercise, and team events. As she arrived at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics, she was expected to make history, but struggled with the "petrifying" mental block known as the "twisties," which led her to withdraw from most of her events.

While some hailed her as a mental health trailblazer, others criticised her as a quitter. However, Biles returned from a two-year break at the age of 27, and in 2023, she extended her medal tally to 37, starting with her first all-around world title in 2013 at just 16. Now the owner of a record six world all-around crowns, Biles remains a sensation, admired even by stars like LeBron James and Taylor Swift.

Her journey has been marked by both triumph and adversity. More than seven million Instagram followers enjoyed the fairytale photos of her wedding to NFL player Jonathan Owens, who got special permission from the Chicago Bears to attend her events in Paris. During her Eras tour, Taylor Swift tweeted her support when Biles incorporated a phrase from Swift’s song "...Ready For It" into her floor routine at the US Olympic trials.

Biles' career has also been shaped by personal challenges. In 2018, she revealed she was among the gymnasts abused by former Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar and became a vocal critic of USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for their mishandling of the scandal.

As the oldest US female gymnast since 1952, Biles humorously reflected on her evolution from a "little hamster on a wheel" in Rio to a seasoned athlete who values mental health as much as physical performance. “I definitely have to apologize to Aly for calling her grandma because, whew, I feel like I’m way older now,” Biles said.

With meticulous care for her mental health and remarkable physical feats, including making the Yurchenko double pike vault a staple of her routines, Biles’s comeback has been extraordinary. "I think we always knew she could be better," said coach Cecile Landi, noting Biles’s exceptional talent and resilience.

Supported by her family and her gym, World Champions Centre, Biles is joined on the US Olympic team by Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and newcomer Hezly Rivera. Despite knowing they will face detractors, Biles is grateful to be competing on her own terms. 

“Nobody’s forcing me to do it,” Biles said. “I wake up every day and choose to grind in the gym and come out here and perform for myself. Just to remind myself that I can still do it, that’s my why.” In her impressive return, Biles continues to inspire with her resilience and excellence, reaffirming her place as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.