Why Simone Biles' Husband Wasn't Cheering Her on in the Stands at the Paris Olympics
When there are two professional athletes in the family, the calendars don’t always align. However, Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, have found a way to see each other during the Paris Olympics. It involved a bit of creative scheduling while he is in preseason training with the Chicago Bears in the U.S.
The NFL player missed seeing the gymnastics superstar compete on Sunday, July 28 in the team qualifications, but don’t worry, he was home watching her on TV. He praised his wife in an Instagram Story after she nailed her balance beam routine. “Flawless,” he wrote while adding a fire and blue heart emoji. Now, he’s on his way to see Biles in person, just in time for the team finals.
According to People, Owens is flying on Monday, July 29 to Paris to support Team USA’s quest for a gold medal. Biles shared at the Olympic Trials in June that he was able to negotiate time off from preseason training for some of her events. “The Bears are actually granting him a couple of days off from training camp, so he’ll be there, yes,” Biles happily shared with the media. “For just a short little time.”
The football team gave him time off to see her try and clinch another team medal, but also another all-around medal on Thursday, Aug. 1. Owens told Yahoo! Sports that it’s “always super nerve-wracking” to watch his wife compete, but he knew how important it was to both of them to ask for time off from his job — the Olympics only come around every four years.
“Obviously the Olympics were coming up and you know who my wife is,” he explained. “It was all respectful. We went to them and asked, ‘We’d really appreciate if he could go to support his wife.’ I can’t wait to be able to support her. It’s the person you love most, man, and you see them out there in a position where someone could get hurt and you care. I’m just holding my breath, and I have my little piece of paper right there ready calculating everything so I can’t wait.”
Owens is expected to be back in Chicago on Aug. 3, so he will miss Biles’ event finals for vault, balance beam, and floor exercise, but the effort he put in is a relief to her protective fans. He found himself in hot water after he described himself as “the catch” in their relationship. Since then, he’s more than proven to be her No. 1 cheerleader, exactly as it should be when you’re married to the GOAT.
Before you go, click here to see 15 times Simone Biles defied gravity.