US gymnastics star, four-time US Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles landed a Yurchenko double pike vault to win the GK U.S. Classic at the Indiana Convention Center in late May. The Yurchenko is a move Biles worked on for over a year, right through COVID.

Biles sported a leotard with a goat on it, symbolizing her understanding that she has the right to be included among the greatest gymnasts of all time. Just as Serena Williams struggled with overt racism directed at her and sister Venus on the tennis court, Simone Biles has her share of haters, too.

It’s astonishing, but as Biles picked up her seventh U.S. title while competing at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the Dickies Arena in Ft. Worth, Texas last week, the haters found nothing to love about her astonishing accomplishments. Rather than boo hoo around, the super star embraced her goat motif appliques on her competition leotards as permanent.

Biles recently spoke to Marie Clare about how the G.O.A.T. design came to life.

Simone Biles truly is the GOAT of gymnastics.jpg

"The idea was to hit back at the haters," she told the outlet. "[The haters] were joking like, 'I swear, if she put a goat on her leo, blah, blah, blah.' That would make them so angry. And then I was like, 'Oh, that's actually a good idea.' And so that's exactly what we did and why we did it."

Simone Biles may be 4’10” in stature, but she packs a power punch twice her size. In late April, the platinum athlete ended her six-year relationship with Nike to join Athleta, Gap’s female-focused activewear brand.

The GOAT gymnast did not directly criticize Nike in announcing her move to Athleta — even though the company has a rocky relationship with female athletes.

“I felt like it wasn’t just about my achievements, it’s what I stood for and how they were going to help me use my voice and also be a voice for females and kids,” she said. “I feel like they also support me, not just as an athlete, but just as an individual outside of the gym and the change that I want to create, which is so refreshing.”

In joining Athleta, led by former Sephora veteran Mary Beth Laughton as president and CEO since fall 2019, Biles said that the company will give her a platform as an activist engaged in “honest conversations’ with women and girls. Working with a predominantly female design team, Biles said she was inspired to join a company that was “truly for women by women.”

Simone Biles delivered an astonishing set of images by Kennedi Carter in yesterday’s online release of her cover story and interview in the June issue of Glamour US. There’s yet more to the Simone Biles story, with Athleta backing her competitive bird dogging of USA Gymnastics over her being willing to take on permanently USA Gymnastics, the governing body of her sport — a system that ignored staggering sexual abuse by team doctors of young women in their care. Biles has been a leader in that ongoing fight.

Considering that for decades corporations have avoided controversy, the willingness of Athleta CEO Mary Beth Laughton to dive head-first into the pool with Biles could make AOC forgive GAP for Kanye West’s drive to shut down Planned Parenthood. Put it this way — Athleta is not the GAP.

Hmmm. Why do I suddenly have visions of Simone Biles doing back flips over Kanye West’s head, as God’s self-appointed man in charge of women (West says God came to him in the shower), promises to desist his crusade against the largest provider of health care to poor women — and all women — in America. Indeed, AOC could become an ardent supporter of Athleta. Let me check their sustainability credentials. ~ Anne

DO check out the Simone Biles cover story for Glamour’s June 2021 issue.

Simone Biles Soars by Kennedi Carter for Glamour US June 2021 AOC Fashion