The best thing Simone Biles did on her way to her ninth U.S. title won’t show up in the scoresheet.
Biles hasn’t lost an all-around gymnastics meet in more than a decade, and that streak was never in jeopardy at U.S. nationals. She had a commanding lead after the first night, and after breezing through her routine on a balance beam that tripped up many other competitors, it was clear it was going to be more of the same Sunday night.
But at 27, Biles has a perspective she wouldn’t have – couldn’t have had as a younger gymnast. So when she noticed Suni Lee, whose career was nearly derailed last year by a kidney ailment, have a scary turn on vault, Biles did something not often seen in the sport.

The best thing Simone Biles did on her way to her ninth U.S. title won’t show up in the scoresheet.
Biles hasn’t lost an all-around gymnastics meet in more than a decade, and that streak was never in jeopardy at U.S. nationals. She had a commanding lead after the first night, and after breezing through her routine on a balance beam that tripped up many other competitors, it was clear it was going to be more of the same Sunday night.
But at 27, Biles has a perspective she wouldn’t have – couldn’t have had as a younger gymnast. So when she noticed Suni Lee, whose career was nearly derailed last year by a kidney ailment, have a scary turn on vault, Biles did something not often seen in the sport.

Biles went to find Lee, who had gone backstage to try and compose herself, and ask if she was OK. She asked if Lee had gotten lost in the air, as Biles had at the Tokyo Olympics. When Lee said no, Biles told her to take a deep breath and trust in her gymnastics. Everything, Biles said, was going to be all right.
“She just helped boost me up and get my confidence back up because, at that point, I was kind of like thinking that this was over,” Lee said. “It was really пісе having her in my corner. It just felt so good because I knew I was having a hard time, and she was just there.”
Though Biles’ World Champions Centre teammates were beginning their rotation on floor exercise, Biles stayed with Lee, offering her more words of encouragement before she went up on bars. As Lee climbed up on the podium, still looking apprehensive, Biles stayed close by, cheering her on from the floor. Her shouts of “С’топ! С’топ!” could be heard as Lee did her routine – а nеаr-flawless one, mind you – and she clapped enthusiastically when Lee landed her dismount.

“That’s what a good leader does,” Graba said. “She saw what was going on. First event, that can throw you off. (She said), ‘Just stay in your game.'”
This was Lee’s first time doing the all-around since she had to cut short her final season at Auburn because of the kidney ailment, and the months in between have been filled with dark moments and doubts about whether she’d be able to do gymnastics again. Of course she’d be thrown by what happened on vault, where she stubbed her toe on the runway and had to decide in the air to water down her vault or risk a precarious landing.
Something like that can send a gymnast sideways, especially someone who’s still trying to get her feel for competition back.
“I just knew that she needed some encouragement and somebody to trust her gymnastics for her and to believe in her. So that’s exactly what I did,” Biles said.