PARIS – The stars were out to see Simone Biles on Sunday morning.
On the northern side of Bercy Arena, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen took their seats near a luxury box with their children, who held up a white flag adorned with the American flag and Olympic rings. A few rows away, Tom Cruise shook hands with a fellow spectator and smiled. Snoop Dogg, who is in Paris as a contributor with NBC, leaned back in a seat in the front row.
Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain and USA snowboarder Shaun White and his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev, were among the other notable figures in attendance Sunday. Businessman David Lauren, the son of eponymous clothing designer Ralph Lauren was also seated nearby.
Sunday’s team qualifying drew such high interest because it will be the first time that Biles competes at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she is expected to add to her gold medal haul.
It’s been nearly three years since Biles, 27, withdrew from the team final at Tokyo Olympics with a case of the ‘twisties,’ which caused her to lose a sense of where she was in the air during twisting elements.
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After a hiatus of more than a year, she returned to competition last fall and has since reclaimed her place as the world’s most dominant gymnast, inspiring fellow athletes and people around the world with both her talent and her outspokenness on mental health.
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