Simone Biles’ greatness is summed up in one photo — but not the one you think

PARIS — The greatness of Simone Biles can be summed up in one photo.

It’s not of her with her many, many medals. Or of a score that reflects another dominant performance. It doesn’t show her soaring high above the vault. It’s of Biles and Jordan Chiles, bowing down to new Olympic floor champion Rebeca Andrade as the Brazilian steps onto the medals podium at the 2024 Paris Games.

“I love Rebeca. She’s absolutely amazing,” Biles said Monday afternoon. “Jordan was like, 'Should we bow to her?’ And I was like, 'Absolutely.’ It was just the right thing to do.”

Yes, but not many athletes — not many people — would be big enough to celebrate someone else’s success in the wake of their own disappointment. Or mature enough to do it so genuinely. Not many would be generous enough to show the grace that so often isn’t extended to her.

Biles is the greatest gymnast of all time, and the surprising results Monday do nothing to change that. But she’s an equally good human, continuing to dole out lessons on how to do life.

Be kind. Celebrate success, both yours and that of others. Take as much care of your mental health as you do your physical health. Never allow others to write your own story.

“I accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics, but in the sport. So I can't be mad at my performances,” said Biles, who leaves the Paris Olympics with four medals, three of them gold.

“A couple of years ago, I didn’t think I'd be back here at an Olympic Games. Competing and walking away with four medals, I’m not mad about it,” Biles continued. “I'm pretty proud of myself.”

Of course Biles was disappointed with the outcome Monday. She is, after all, fiercely competitive, and her performances in the balance beam and floor exercise finals weren’t what she imagined for herself. Or what anybody imagined for her.

The last day of event finals was supposed to be a coronation, an exclamation to what, for the first 10 days of the Olympics were “The Simone Games.” At least one other gold medal from the balance beam or floor exercise finals, maybe even a historic ninth one that would tie her for most by a female Olympian. Two medals for sure, moving her past Allyson Felix for most overall by an American woman who is not a swimmer.

As Biles learned all too well three years ago in Tokyo, however, life isn’t neat and tidy. Things don’t always go how you want, or expect. Sometimes you win all the things, sometimes you don’t.

On Monday, she didn’t. She fell off balance beam, breaking her streak of winning a medal on every all-around, vault, balance beam and floor exercise final she’s competed in at the world championships or Olympics. Then, on floor, an event she’d never lost at a world championships and Olympics, she finished second to Andrade after going out of bounds one too many times.

“She’s a little tired, emotionally and physically,” said Cecile Landi, who is Biles’ co-coach with husband Laurent. “You know, she made mistakes on floor. But you make mistakes and (are) still a silver medalist, it’s pretty cool.”

But as Biles showed in Tokyo, it’s easy to have character when things are going well. The truer measurer is how you respond when they’re not.

When it was announced in the post-meet news conference that the gold and bronze finish on balance beam by Italy’s Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito gave the country its first medals on the event, Biles enthusiastically applauded and smiled. Not only was she happy for D’Amato and Esposito, but she also recognizes the impact it will have in their country.

“They’re building the bricks for the younger Italians,” Biles said. “Really proud of them. They did their job.”

When Chiles' score was changed, giving her the bronze medal, Biles looked happier for her teammate than she did herself. As Chiles ran along the sidelines, sobbing, Biles gave chase, wrapping her in a bearhug when she finally caught up to Chiles.

As for celebrating Andrade, that was easy. Andrade's floor gold is the culmination of the years the Brazilian has pushed Biles and motivated her to get better. Also a rightful recognition for how she’s elevated Brazil, which won its first Olympic team medal in Paris, one year after winning its first team medal at the world championships.

“She's queen,” Biles said, simply.

Biles is, too often, held to an impossible standard. She’s expected to be both perfect and infallible. Superhuman. We’ve become so accustomed to her greatness that we take it for granted, assuming she will deliver on command. And more often than not, she does, as she did in the team and all-around finals.  

“It’s amazing to recover (from Tokyo) the way she did,” Laurent Landi said. “To do the work, the personal work, to be here and to perform – it's amazing. It just shows how tough the mind is and if you heal it properly, you can be very, very successful."

But sometimes, Biles is at her best when she’s not doing “Simone things.” When she’s just being Simone. It’s the grace and generosity she shows in those moments that reflect a true champion. 

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.