Here's why Simone Biles wore a boot to Paris Olympics closing ceremony

US gymnast wore a walking boot on her left leg due to a persistent calf injury

 US gymnast Simone Biles Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and US gymnast Simone Biles holding the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France | AFP

Four-time medalist  (three gold, one silver) at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Simone Biles was present at the closing ceremony on Sunday evening. The US gymnast wore a walking boot on her left leg "as a precaution" after injuring herself in warm-up during the Games.

Simone Biles was present alongside Tom Cruise and Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles. She was wearing a walking boot on her left leg due to a persistent calf injury, which she twisted during a floor warm-up on July 28, at the start of the Olympics.

"It's just a precaution, because we still have a tour after this," she told NBC about her walking boot. We're resting as much as possible." Biles and other American gymnasts are scheduled to take part in a tour of nearly thirty cities across the United States, starting in mid-September.

Simone Biles was already wearing this boot when she was photographed this week with Léon Marchand, who also collected medals in Paris (four gold and one bronze, exactly like Biles in Rio in 2016).

Beautiful closing ceremony

The gigantic Stade de France resembled a concert hall hosting a party to celebrate the fortnight of sporting excellence as a breathtaking closing ceremony brought the curtains down on the Paris Olympics 2024 with a spectacular show, passing on the baton to Los Angeles for the next edition.

While the nearly four-hour-long innovative opening ceremony held on the River Seine had showcased the architectural wonders of the city and France's rich heritage, the closing ceremony was equally enchanting in the way it ebbed and flowed with the mood of the evening, with a fair sprinkling of Hollywood, including megastar Tom Cruise, adding to the vibrancy.

(L'Équipe)

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