She’s widely considered the greatest female gymnast of all time. And on Saturday, following a 732-day hiatus, American Simon Biles reminded the world why when she returned to elite competition in Hoffman Estates, Illinois at the U.S. Classic.
She didn’t just win. She won with a brand new routine on the floor exercise that used the instrumental to “Unicorn” — Noa Kirel’s Eurovision 2023 song for Israel.
You’ll remember that “Unicorn” won the Rest of World vote during May’s competition. It would seem the unicorn love is still going strong over in the U.S.
Simone was competing in her first meet since the Tokyo Games where, despite being the heavy favourite, she withdrew during the team competition owing to her battle with the so-called “twisties.”
No such problem in Illinois. Wearing a black-and-white leotard, Simone unleashed her inner unicorn as she nailed all three of her tumbling passes. They looked absolutely effortless, even as she pulled some of the most daring moves in the discipline.
Simone isn’t, of course, the first gymnast to turn to Eurovision for inspiration on the floor. Fellow American Olympian Jordyn Wieber famously performed to Ruslana’s “Wild Dances” at the London 2012 Olympics.
What do you think of Simone’s music choice? Are you as in love as we are? Let us know down below!
