Heavy A DWTS champ is speaking out.
Season 8 “Dancing With the Stars” champ Shawn Johnson took to her Instagram Stories on August 5, 2023, to share her thoughts on Simone Biles, who made her return to the gymnastics main stage at the U.S. Classic.
“Catching up on the U.S. Classic real quick, and just wanted to share. I have so many people asking questions about Simone. Just, all of it,” Johnson began.
“The only thing I want to say is this: Simone is the greatest athlete our sport will ever see. Has ever seen. And she doesn’t need to compete another day in her life for that to ever, like. She’s already accomplished that,” she continued.
“And for everybody wanting to like, cover the drama of like, ‘will she come back?’ Dude, she already did it. She already did it. She’s the greatest leader, she’s the greatest mentor to the next generation, and she’s a straight up boss. All she needs to do is walk into the arena and, like, she doesn’t need to do anything else,” she added.
Here’s what you need to know:
Shawn Johnson Shared a Message Directly to Simone Biles
Biles made her highly anticipated return to the mat at the U.S. Classic after choosing to end her Tokyo Olympic run early to focus on her mental health back in 2020.
In an interview with Today in October 2021, Biles seemed to determined to take care of herself before thinking about returning to gymnastics. “To do something that I’ve done forever and just not be able to do it because of everything I’ve gone through is really crazy because I love this sport so much,” Biles said.
On August 5, 2023, The New York Times reported that Biles won the U.S. Classic by 5 points — and Johnson was cheering her on.
“Simone, it is an honor to watch you in gymnastics. I am cheering for you. It’s so fun to watch,” Johnson said. “But to anybody who attempts to put pressure on her because they think that she has something to prove? She has nothing to prove. Guys, she is. She’s it,” she continued.
“Simone, congratulations. So excited for you,” she concluded.
Simone Biles Won Her First Competition Since 2021 & Has Qualified for Nationals
Biles, who also competed on “Dancing With the Stars,” has a lot to celebrate — and a lot to look forward to.
“It felt really good, especially after everything that’s happened over the past year,” Biles told NBC Sports after the event. “So, everyone that was cheering, made posters and all that in the crowd, it just made my heart melt that they still believe in me and I got back out here and I did what I was training so I’m very happy with the result,” she added.
Biles, 26, isn’t looking too far into the future after her U.S. Classics finish qualified her for Nationals.
“We’re still in the working steps,” she said when asked about the 2024 Olympic Games. “My main goal was this, and then [U.S.] championships, and then after we’ll look onto worlds, and then we’ll see, but so far it’s heading in the right direction,” she added.
Biles has earned seven Olympic medals, four of which are gold.
READ NEXT: DWTS Champ Kaitlyn Bristowe Deletes a Cryptic Message as Concerns About a Split Continue