"Should we teach her how to drive?"-Simone Biles hilariously reacts to 16-year-old Hezly Rivera qualifying for Paris Olympics 2024

While Simone Biles became one of the oldest gymnasts to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024, joining her was 16-year-old Hezly Rivera, who is currently the youngest American headed to the Summer Olympic Games. Both are on the same team and have been training partners at WOGA and while Biles claimed she would guide her through the competition, the 27-year-old also laughed at the thought of Riviera not even being eligible for a driving license yet.

Despite a few slip-ups at the start, Biles led the competition throughout the U.S. Gymnasts Olympic Team Trials 2024. The seven-time Olympic medalist amassed a dominant score of 117.225 to punch her ticket to the third consecutive Olympic Games.

Joining Biles on the five-member Team were Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera. Everyone on the team has already participated in one Olympic Games except Rivera, who secured the fifth spot at the U.S. Gymnastics Trials with a score of 111.150.

While the 16-year-old had no bounds to her happiness, Simone Biles, who participated in her first Olympic Games as a 19-year-old, had a hilarious reaction to her training partner’s qualification. Claiming she was ‘proud’ of Rivera and would guide her at the Olympics, Biles also expressed her amusement and remarked light-heartedly:

“She's young. She can't even drive. Should we teach her how to drive before she gets to Paris? Jeeez she's so young,” Biles said.

The five-time Olympic champion also added that while still being young and cute, Hezly Rivera was ‘smart’.

“She's cute. She's so smart. She's so beautiful. We are really proud of her for making this team and we are really excited to kind of just show her the ropes,” Simone Biles added.

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Simone Biles hoping for better performance at 2024 Paris Olympics after an underwhelming campaign in Tokyo

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics - Day 4

Simone Biles returned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with just two medals. She earned a bronze on the balance beam and a silver medal with the team USA. She was a favorite for multiple gold medals in the lead-up to Tokyo, where she eventually pulled out due to experiencing twisties.

Talking about her experience, Biles said she couldn't even picture herself going into another Olympic Games (via National Public Radio)

"I never pictured going to another Olympic Games after Tokyo, just because of the circumstances," she told reporters after the competition.

But here she is heading to the Paris Olympics 2024, favorite again for multiple gold medals, and feels she has more to offer this time around.

"I feel like we all have more to give. Our Tokyo performances weren't the best," she added.

Simone Biles called the Paris Olympics 2024 a ‘redemption tour’, and if she means it, nothing less than a podium sweep should be expected.