Best friends forever—and that really means forever.
Olympic gymnastics duo Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles are besties both on and off the mat, and when it came to Biles’ mental health during the Tokyo Olympics, Chiles always had her back.
“I supported her as much as I could,” Chiles exclusively explained on Aug. 8 during E! News’ Daily Pop. “You can’t be in somebody’s body, and at the same time, you don’t know what they’re going through, just outside of just the gymnastics world. So I was just there, I supported her. I asked her, ‘Hey, do you need anything? I can help you with this or that.’ You know, her answers are, ‘No, I’m good, I just need to be for myself.’ However she was feeling that day, I was like, ‘OK, I give you my love. You can receive it.’ I just try to support her in different ways.”
Chiles admitted that the gymnastics team was surprised by Biles’ case of the “twisties” at first. “After that whole incident happened with her, it was something that were all very shocked by,” Chiles continued. “I was just like, ‘Oh my goodness, this is crazy.'”
In fact, Biles called a team huddle to address her individual performance.
“She had said she believed she couldn’t do it, and that she didn’t want to injure herself because she didn’t want the team to go down because of her, and she at least wanted us to get a medal,” Chiles revealed. “So when she told us, it was like a team thing. She’s like, ‘Hey guys, I don’t feel comfortable doing this, I’m not there. Something’s not right.'”
As for Chiles’ reaction? “All three of us, like the other three girls, we’re like, well guys, this is our time to go,” Chiles reflected. “We just have to show the last bits and pieces that we have in ourselves and just go out there and have fun.”
The USA women’s gymnastics team ultimately landed a silver medal, and Biles later returned to the competition for the balance beam final, earning bronze.
“It feels so amazing,” Chiles gushed about the team victory. “Honestly, whenever I look at [the medal], I’m just in shock, I’m in awe, because I’m just like, I actually did that. Looking back to, like, when I was younger, just putting in all the work and effort that we did and finally having something in my hand that makes me feel like I accomplished something, it’s amazing.”
Chiles of course can also relate to the immense pressure the GOAT Biles felt during the Tokyo Games.
“Pressure is something that a lot of athletes—not just gymnasts in general— that we deal with,” Chiles added. “We have to deal with people having expectations, so the pressure aspect of things, it was difficult. It was hard because you want to show the world who you are and also accomplish things yourself…The pressure that I had was trying to prove to myself that although I did have mistakes, I could show that no matter what, I could come out strong.”
Biles and Chiles are also teaming up once again for the Gold Over Americatour, presented by Athleta. “It’s going to be very, very gymnastics related, kind of like a gymnastics spectacular,” Chiles teased.
The Olympic athlete even founded brand Melanin Drip Clothing Co. to spread the important message of self-love and acceptance, just like how Chiles supported her bestie Biles. “It started during the pandemic when the whole Black Lives Matter was happening, and I didn’t realize how much we weren’t appreciated,” Chiles opened up. “My clothing line is basically telling little girls and even adults, embrace yourself. Embrace who you want to be, from your hair all the way down to your style. That’s just who you are.”
The Gold Over America tour tickets are available here.
Photo Credit: Getty
