Simone Biles has always had a sharp instinct for timing, both on the competition floor and in the way she carries her stories beyond it. Nearly a year after her triumph in Paris, the gymnastics icon found a subtle way to revisit one of the most talked-about moments from the 2024 Olympics. This time, it did not involve a gold medal or a press conference, but rather a quiet reveal tucked into her clothing, brought to light in a recent Instagram story.
The “team name” tradition of U.S. gymnastics has often produced memorable monikers, from the “Fierce Five” in London to the “Final Five” in Rio. In Paris, the suspense built once again when Aly Raisman asked the reigning squad what they had chosen. The athletes hesitated, exchanging nervous laughter, before Simone Biles finally admitted there was an unofficial nickname: “F.A.A.F.O.,” short for “f— around and find out.” Hours later, she returned to social media to offer a more official version, calling the squad the “Golden Girls,” a reference to their collective age and the experience that defined their campaign. The combination of irreverence and pride perfectly captured the spirit of that summer.
Now, Biles has revived the Paris nickname in her own understated but unmistakably pointed style. In an Instagram story shared with her millions of followers, she posted an image of a light green shirt, its pocket neatly embroidered with the letters “FAAFO.” The caption read only “iykyk,” a knowing nod to those who remember the moment in Paris when she and her teammates half-joked their way through the reveal. This engraving was less about fashion and more about memory: a personal reminder stitched into fabric, marking the defiance and camaraderie that carried the United States back to team gold.
The Paris Games had been a watershed moment for American gymnastics. The United States secured its first team gold since 2016, finishing with 171.296 points, while Italy and Brazil completed the podium. Biles herself, despite carrying a calf injury, became the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history with eight medals. The embroidery she displayed this week was not merely decoration. It was a small but deliberate way of binding those accomplishments into her present, a reminder that even after the medals have been counted, the stories they represent continue to live on in new forms. The FAAFO mantra traces back to Simone Biles’ sharp response to MyKayla Skinner’s critique.
Simone Biles and Teammates Turned MyKaylaSkinner Spat Into Fuel Behind FAAFO Team Identity
The United States women’s gymnastics team arrived in Paris with medals on their minds, yet a quieter storyline lingered in the background. It began weeks earlier when MyKayla Skinner, a former Olympian, remarked during a live broadcast of the trials that, “Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be,” adding that the younger generation “just don’t have the work ethic.” Those comments circulated swiftly, and the sting was unmistakable within the American camp.
When the squad secured its team gold, Simone Biles did not allow the moment to pass without a pointed rejoinder. Posting a celebratory photo, she captioned it, “Lack of talent, lazy Olympic champions,” a clear reference to Skinner’s remarks. The message resonated not only as a victory lap but as a public rebuke. Within hours, further signs of tension emerged. Biles revealed on X that she had been blocked by Skinner, at nearly the same moment that teammate Jordan Chiles demonstrated the same discovery on Instagram. Sunisa Lee, never one to hide her loyalties, underlined the exchange with a comment: “Put a finger down if Simone Biles just ended you.”
The episode illuminated why the team had rallied behind a phrase that gained quiet momentum in training halls and social spaces: FAAFO. To them, the label embodied a shared understanding that outside criticism, particularly Skinner’s, had struck a nerve but also forged unity. What might have fractured morale instead became a galvanizing code, one that reinforced their solidarity as they marched into Paris determined not simply to collect medals, but to answer back in the most definitive manner possible.
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