‘You’ll always be my champ’: Simone Biles’ NFL star boyfriend Jonathan Owens pays tribute to her ‘strength and courage’ amid gymnast’s ongoing battle with ‘petrifying’ mental issues
- Owens, 26, paid tribute to the 24-year-old in Instagram, hours after she watched teammate Sunisa Lee claim the all-around gold she was expected to win
- Biles dropped out of the all-around final on Wednesday, citing her struggles with mental health issues, having pulled out of the team event after just one event
- Owens, who is currently in Houston where he is attending the Houston Texans’ training camp, praised his girlfriend as an ‘inspiration’
- After the football star shared his post, Biles opened up about the mental struggles that could well end her Olympic dreams once and for all
- Hitting back at critics who accused her of ‘quitting’, the gymnast shared video of herself crashing to the mat while trying to execute her uneven bars dismount
- She revealed she is grappling with the ‘twisties’, a mental phenomenon that makes gymnasts feel like they are ‘lost in the air’ and can result in serious injury
- Biles described the sensation as ‘petrifying’ and said that it can take weeks to get over – hinting that she will not compete again in Tokyo
- Find out the latest Tokyo Olympic news including schedule, medal table and results right here
Simone Biles‘ NFL star boyfriend Jonathan Owens has spoken out to praise the gymnast’s ‘strength and courage’ amid her ongoing battle with ‘petrifying’ mental issues that could end her Olympic dreams once and for all.
The 26-year-old Houston Texans player took to Instagram on Thursday night to post a touching tribute to his sports star girlfriend, shortly after she watched on from the sidelines as the all-around gold medal she was widely expected to win was claimed by her 18-year-old teammate Sunisa Lee.
‘Imma ride with you through whatever baby,’ he wrote, while sharing a slideshow of images of himself and Biles. ‘Your strength and courage is unmatched and you inspire me more and more everyday SB.’
He added that Biles, who chose not to defend her Olympic all-around title in order to ‘focus on her mental health’, having dropped out of the team final after one event for the same reason, will ‘always be his champ’.
Heartfelt: Simone Biles’ boyfriend Jonathan Owens praised her ‘strength and courage’ on Thursday amid the gymnast’s ongoing battle with ‘petrifying’ mental health issues in Tokyo
Meaningful: Not long after Biles, 24, watched teammate Sunisa Lee win the all-around gold that she’d been expected to claim, Owens wrote on Instagram that she’ll ‘always be his champ’
Long-distance: Owens, who shared several photos of the couple with his note, is currently attending a Houston Texans training camp, while Biles is thousands of miles away in Tokyo
‘You always gone be my champ baby and don’t you ever forget that, I love you so much and I can’t wait till you come home and i get to see that beautiful smile again,’ he continued. ‘You know I’m always here for you baby.’
Owens delivered his heartfelt message of support from Houston, where he is currently attending his team’s training camp, while Biles continued to grapple with her mental health struggles thousands of miles away in Tokyo.
His message came just one day after Owens took a swipe at critics who have accused the gymnast of ‘quitting’ and ‘abandoning’ her team by posting a quote from baseball legend Babe Ruth, which said, in part: ‘The loudest boos will always come from the cheap seats.’
Although Owens, who is currently taking part in his team’s training camp ahead of the start of the NFL season, did not tag his girlfriend, the timing of the post – which came in the wake of Biles’ shock decision to pull out of the team final – made clear its intent.
Biles sparked furious controversy on Tuesday when she suddenly withdrew from the team final after making a surprise error on her first event, later revealing that she made the decision to pull out of a desire to prioritize her mental health – and out of fear that her performance could prevent her teammates from winning a medal.
Support: Simone Biles’ boyfriend Jonathan Owens took a thinly-veiled swipe at critics of her decision to withdraw from two Olympic finals
Message: Owens, 26, posted a quote from baseball legend Babe Ruth about dealing with negativity, noting that ‘the loudest boost always come from the cheap seats’
Owens’ post made clear his thoughts on the subject, with the quote continuing: ‘People who invest the least in you will have the most to say about you.
‘Trust your work and keep your circle tight!’
The picture quote was shared just hours after Biles made the sensational decision to pull out of the team final, following a very uncharacteristic on vault, which was the team’s first event in the competition.
Owens gushed about his ‘pride’ over his girlfriend and her teammates after they claimed the silver medal in the final, having lost the gold to Russia following Biles’ exit from competition
Biles took to Instagram after the team final to share this photo of the team, while praising her fellow three gymnasts for ‘stepping up when she couldn’t’
Biles’ decision to pull out of the team final came just moments after she suffered a very uncharacteristic stumble on the vault
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