Simone Biles got a surprise visit from her two best friends at the Olympics.
As Biles was performing her beam routine, Scott Evans of “Access Hollywood” cheered her on in the stands, holding up cardboard cutouts of Lilo and Rambo – the gymnast’s dogs.
“We just wanted to makes sure [Biles] felt the love. Who loves you more than your pups? Since they couldn’t be there, we brought em! Her reaction was everything,” Evans told Access Hollywood. “To be there watching this moment in person is something I’ll never forget. [Biles] on that beam was a triumph. My heart was pounding with every move. When she dismounted that beam I finally took a breath.”
Biles was beaming with joy when she saw her furry pals. She has previously expressed how Lilo and Rambo positively impacted her mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My life is centered around gymnastics and without that, and the amount of exercise I’m used to, I’m focused on relaxing the mind, relaxing the body,” Biles wrote on Instagram May 9, 2020. “I like to take my dog for a walk, watch shows, talk to my family and friends – really anything besides doing nothing.”
Tuesday was the first time Biles competed in the Tokyo Olympics since she withdrew from the team competition last week to focus on her mental and physical health. The 24-year-old returned in triumphant fashion, winning a bronze medal with a score of 14.000 – her seventh career Olympic medal, tied with Shannon Miller for the most earned by a US gymnast.
Chinese competitors Guan Chenchen (14.633) and Tang Xijing (14.233) finished ahead of Biles. All-around gold medalist Suni Lee (13.866) came in fifth.
“What they do up there is incredible,” Evans said. “[Biles] and [Lee] represented the US and themselves so well.”
