Simone Biles and the U.S. gymnastics team claimed gold in the women’s team final on Tuesday, but there are plenty of hidden details you might have missed about her stunning $5,000 leotard, from its sweet tribute to its numerous crystals.
The 27-year-old was battling a calf injury but still managed to compete in all four events, including the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Simone, who is married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, first saw the patriotic red, white and blue leotards she would wear alongside her teammates earlier this month.
“This is beautiful!” Biles said, with teammate Sunisa Lee by her side during the big performance. “You guys killed these lions!”
Here, FEMAIL uncovered all the hidden meanings behind the crystal-embellished leotards that Simone and her teammates, including Jordan Chiles, Suni and Jade Carey, wore to compete.
Simone Biles and the U.S. gymnastics team took gold in the women’s team final, but there are plenty of hidden details you might have missed about her impressive $5,000 leotard
Simone, who is married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, first saw the patriotic red, white and blue leotards she would wear alongside her teammates earlier this month.
Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Sunisa Lee and Hezly Rivera celebrated after the victory
Discover all the hidden meanings behind the crystal-embellished leotards that Simone and her teammates, including Jordan Chiles, Suni and Jade Carey, wore to compete.
Simone is the most decorated American gymnast of all time and was the oldest member of the team.
Her Swarovski creation is expected to sell for around $5,000. According to Business Insiderwho spoke with GK Elite lead designer Jeanne Diaz.
The leotard paid tribute to the famed 1996 USA women’s gymnastics team, which made history when it won the U.S.’s first-ever gold medal in the women’s team all-around.
Much of the victory was due to Kerri Strug’s memorable jump, which she performed in epic fashion even with a badly injured ankle.
The team, nicknamed the Magnificent Seven, wore leotards with the stars and stripes of the flag emblazoned on their shoulders.
Simone and her team wore leotards with blue stars on the shoulders created by Elite GK as a tribute to the 1996 team.
The stunning design featured 9,929 crystals, which was a big change from the 1996 dress, which had no sparkle at all.
The Team USA jersey uses different types of diamond-cut crystals.
All stars are fully outlined in Swarovski crystals for maximum sparkle.
All stars are fully outlined in Swarovski crystals for maximum sparkle and the crystals are diamond cut.
Simone’s Swarovski creation is estimated to retail for around $5,000, according to Business Insider, which spoke to GK Elite’s lead designer, Jeanne Diaz.
The leotard paid tribute to the famed 1996 U.S. women’s gymnastics team, which made history when it won Team USA’s first-ever gold medal in the women’s team all-around competition.
According to Business Insider, the 2024 gymnasts specifically asked for more crystals when they were surveyed.
The team also wore Star Spangled Shine leotards with 6,359 crystals in red, white, blue and gold, with a corset-style lace-up back.
According to Business Insider, the 2024 gymnasts specifically asked for more crystals when they were surveyed.
While the Olympic leotards are made with custom fabrics and thousands of crystals, GK Elite sells a version of the leotard for $89.99 on its website for both children and adults.
Simone returns to action in Paris after withdrawing from events at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
The gymnast later said she suffered from “twisties,” a mental block that makes gymnasts feel like they are “lost in the air.”
Simone addressed her ‘traumas and falls’ as part of her Netflix documentary and how these could have caused her to get injured if she didn’t step down.
The eye-opening docuseries Simone Biles Rising premiered on July 17.