Simone Biles' former coach Cecile Landi reacts to Georgia gymnast's emotional retiring message after undergoing multiple surgeries

By Janhavi Shinde

Modified Apr 09, 2025 03:58 GMT

Simone Biles' former coach, Cecile Landi, recently expressed her feelings towards Georgia Gymdogs gymnast Kelsey Lee as the latter announced her retirement from the sport following two surgeries. After leading the USA gymnastics women's team to a gold medal and earning the USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year award for Women's Artistic Gymnastics, Landi stepped into the role of co-head coach at Georgia Gymnastics.

She recently expressed her love and pride after Lee announced her retirement on social media, following two surgeries and a fall from the vault during warmups at the first meet against NC State in her freshman year, 2024.

"For the past 14 years, gymnastics has been my entire world," Lee wrote. "This wasn’t an easy choice by any means, but I know in my heart it’s the right one for. both my physical and mental well-being. I never imagined closing this chapter so soon, but I’m endlessly grateful."

Landi shared the gymnast's post on her Instagram story and expressed her gratitude towards the gymnast for her contribution to the squad's success and wished her the best for the future.

"Officially retiring after an incredible career," Landi wrote and added a tear-eye emoji. "Thank you for being you and everything you brought to this team."

"Loved having you by our side all season! You'll be missed more than you know. Wishing you the very best in your future endeavors. Keep being you. So grateful we are friends now," Landi added.

Simone Biles' coach Cecile Landi led her to six Olympic medals before entering the collegiate coaching circuit

Simone Biles and coach Cecile Landi during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (Photo via Getty Images)

Simone Biles' coach Cecile Landi was named co-head coach of the Georgia GymDogs in April 2024 before stepping into the role in August. Meanwhile, in her journey as an elite gymnast's coach, she led the legendary Biles to six Olympic medals from two editions.

At the 2020 Tokyo Games, she guided the American squad, including Biles, to a silver medal in the team event. The gymnast further bagged a bronze medal in the balance beam event before stepping down to focus on her mental health.

At the 2024 Paris Games, Cecile Landi led the gymnast to four medals, including three gold in team, all-around, and vault, and a silver in floor event. The feat made Biles the most decorated US Olympic gymnast.

About the author

Janhavi is a Sports Management graduate working as a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She emphasizes meticulous research and fact-checking before creating content, relying on multiple sources including social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, as well as various sports publications.

She has competed in the 10m Air Rifle Shooting event at the national level alongside renowned athletes such as Anjali Bhagwat, Apurvi Chandela, and Anjum Moudgil, which further fueled her passion for the sport.

Abhinav Bindra is her favorite Olympian, and she particularly cherishes his and Neeraj Chopra's gold medal victories as they revolutionized Indian athletes' mindset towards achieving sporting excellence.

If given the opportunity to introduce a new sport to the Olympics, she would choose American Football for its widespread appeal and intense competition. Apart from reporting on the latest news in the world of Olympics, she likes to immerse herself in reading, painting, and traveling.

Know More

Edited by Pratham K Sharma