Simone Biles reunited with her Final Five teammates, Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian, and Laurie Hernandez from the 2016 Rio Olympics. Biles was a debutant at that edition, but returned home with four gold medals, setting an American record for the most gold medals in women’s gymnastics at a single Games.
Biles currently lives away from gymnastics, devoting much of her time to supporting her husband, Jonathan Owens, in his career endeavors and taking occasional vacations with him.
Simone Biles Reunites with Final Five Teammates But Misses Gabby Douglas
Biles was already a 14-time World medalist when she stepped onto the Rio Olympic mat as the youngest member of the roster. As the reigning all-around World Champion, the first in women’s gymnastics history, she displayed nothing but finesse, topping the all-around, team, vault, and floor events, while settling for bronze on the balance beam.
Raisman trailed Biles in the all-around, becoming part of only the second U.S. pair to claim the top two finishes after Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson in 2008. Since 1984, it was the first time Team USA claimed medals in every single event, capped by Madison Kocian’s silver medal-winning performance on the uneven bars.
The historic quadrennial event for U.S. women’s gymnastics left a lasting impact, and the team’s dominance made them popularly known as the “Final Five.” After all these years, the members remain close, often spending time together virtually or in person.
In a recent Instagram story, Biles shared a screenshot of a FaceTime call with Raisman, Kocian, and Hernandez, with Douglas tagged but absent.
Set in black and white, the picture featured happy faces, with a caption reading: “Final Five FaceTime. Missed you @gabbycvdouglas.”
Besides Biles, none of the Rio team members participated in either the Tokyo or Paris Olympics. Though Tokyo was a tumultuous experience for the 28-year-old, both mentally and physically, she bounced back in Paris, winning gold in the all-around, team, and vault events, and silver on floor. Raisman was not competing in Paris, but she served as the hospitality ambassador alongside the most-decorated Olympian, Michael Phelps.
Since Raisman was 22, older than her teammates during the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was often called “grandma” for her habits and unfamiliarity with trendy terms.
In a post-Olympics press conference in 2024, Biles, who competed as a 27-year-old, wished to apologize to Raisman for calling her ‘old’ as she felt older.
She became the oldest American female gymnast to win an Olympic all-around gold medal, but also the most-decorated in the US, extending her win tally to seven. She surpassed Shannon Miller with her efforts.
