"Never allowed to do that"- In light of Simone Biles and Suni Lee eating pizza in Paris, When Aly Raisman recalled being scolded for doing the same

Aly Raisman once shared that she was called out for eating a slice of pizza by a USATG staffer. Years after, Simone Biles and Suni Lee were spotted sharing fun-filled laughter with a pizza each at the Olympic Village in Paris, much unlike Raisman and her teammates' choice of food and gymnastic schedule during their active years as part of USA Gymnastics.

Raisman was part of the gold-winning teams, self-dubbed as 'Fierce Five' and 'Final Five' at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, respectively. She swept the floor gold balance beam bronze in the former Olympiad and all-around and floor silver in the latter. Her impressive resume also boasts four World Championship medals.

Raisman started gymnastics at 18 months of age when she was enrolled in the 'Mommy and Me' tumbling class by her mother, a former high school gymnast. As she unfurled her prowess in event after event, Raisman's schedule turned stricter. She was constantly pushed to uphold a high standard of perfection, like all other US gymnasts, under USA Gymnastics.

In a 2010 meet in Italy, Raisman won her first all-around title. However, following that, she was called out for indulging in a slice of pizza by a USAG staff, as shared in a 2017 interview. She said:

"Aly, you are never allowed to do that again, as long as you’re competing".

Raisman called up her mother and shared that she wouldn't be named to the national team for having pizza.

14 years later, as Simone Biles and Suni Lee's picture of sharing a fun time over a whole pizza surfaced, the transformation of the culture came to light. In an X post, a fan page posted the video of both the Olympic all-around champions holding the delicacy, much dissimilar to how gymnasts used to be under Bela and Marta Karolyi, the former national coordinator for USA Gymnastics.

Biles is heading to the third Olympiad of her career and Lee will compete in her second Olympiad after 2020 Tokyo.

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"It’s been so wonderful in 2024 to be back in the gymnastics world" - Aly Raisman

Aly Raisman was spotted overhead on Target Center's jumbotron during the 2024 US Olympic Trials. Having ended her gymnastic career in 2020, Raisman continues to be closely associated with the sport.

In an interview, she expressed joy in making a comeback at the Olympics, after 'a little bit of space' and contemplation. She said(via Olympics.com):

"It’s been so wonderful in 2024 to be back in the gymnastics world. “I think that I needed a little bit of space from being back into the sport. Now, being able to be back, seeing all my teammates, getting to spend more time with them, being back in the gym, and starting to commentate has been such a wonderful experience".

The 30-year-old has been appointed as the hospitality ambassador of the 2024 Paris Olympics & Paralympics.