Taylor Swift celebrated Simone Biles’ return to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in a short video that aired prior to tonight’s balance beam competition.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, made her return to Olympic competition on Tuesday after pulling out of several previous events for mental health reasons. She went on to claim the bronze medal in the balance beam event.
In a promo video airing during tonight’s telecast, Swift called Biles as a “hero” whose “voice has been as significant as her talents.”
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“What do we want from our heroes?” Swift asks in the promo (via Billboard). “What do we expect from them? What do we need from them? What happens when they surprise us? When you have the attention of the world, everything you do takes on a bigger meaning. It can be a heavy burden. It can be a chance to change everything.”
“Throughout the last week, her voice has been as significant as her talents, her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature,” Swift adds. “But don’t you see? It still is. She’s perfectly human, and that’s what makes it so easy to call her a hero. Simone Biles, back on the beam in Tokyo.” The video is soundtracked by Swift’s folklore song “This Is Me Trying.”
Bile responded to the video by tweeting, “I’m crying how special. I love you @taylorswift13,” to which Swift herself replied, “I cried watching YOU. I feel so lucky to have gotten to watch you all these years, but this week was a lesson in emotional intelligence and resilience. We all learned from you. Thank you.”
I’m crying 🥺🤍 how special. I love you @taylorswift13 https://t.co/px9RXtKHNI
Advertisement— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 3, 2021
I cried watching YOU. I feel so lucky to have gotten to watch you all these years, but this week was a lesson in emotional intelligence and resilience. We all learned from you. Thank you. https://t.co/VQxyeEf0mJ
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 3, 2021