Simone Biles has the chance to make history at the Paris Olympics when she aims to become the first American woman to earn two all-around gold medals and the first ever to have named elements in all four events.
Legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci sees something familiar in the inspiration Biles has brought to the sport. Comaneci broke barriers and inspired a generation when she became the first gymnast in history to record a score of a perfect 10.0 at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
Now, the five-time gold medalist is watching Simone Biles become an inspiration for the next generation of gymnasts.
"She is given this opportunity to understand who you are and to break barriers and inspire the new generation," Comaneci told People magazine . "Every generation needs someone to inspire them and she is one of them."
Comaneci looked back on her own journey, recounting how she rose to the top of a sport that was one of the few options for women athletes at the time -- and doing it at age 14, no less.
"The first one [1976] is the one I broke barriers at 14 years old, at a time when there weren't too many sports for women. I was the youngest and the first," Comaneci said. "Now, we talk about equality; women can do any sports guys can. But many years ago they were like, 'Girls can't do that.' And through my gymnastics, I said, 'Yeah they can!' "
Biles has leaned into the impact she is having on the next generation. BBC reporter Betty Glover noted that at the Paris Olympics, Biles had a touching exchange with a young admirer in the crowd.
Related: Reporter Reveals What Simone Biles Did to Make Young Fan 'Burst Into Tears'
"A little French girl in the crowd behind me has been shouting Simone Biles name this whole time," Glover shared in a post on X . "Biles just finished her warm up on the bars & turned around & waved at her. The girl just burst into tears!! I’m not sure I’ve seen a female athlete have this much of an impact before"
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