Eight years after their viral meeting, Zac Efron lauds Simone Biles over historic performance at Paris Olympics 2024

By Marie Amani

Modified Jul 31, 2024 18:19 GMT

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Simone Biles was in a class of her own in Paris last week, leading Team USA to gold in the women’s all-around team event at the Bercy Arena. Plaudits have been pouring in for the now five-time Olympic champion, with American actor Zac Efron in the mix.

Zac Efron and Simone Biles go way back. The talented gymnast first met Efron in 2016. Biles and Efron exchanged kisses on the cheek at the time.

Efron was regarded as one of the most good-looking men in the world then. Biles could not hold back after their meeting and shared a video on her X handle. She was seen smiling and blushing as Efron gave her a peck. She shared a photo of herself kissing Efron on the cheek too:

"He kissed me on the cheek just letting y’all know @ZacEfron."

She added:

"Proof: had to do a retake bc I thought we were taking a picture then he kissed me instead."

Eight years later, Efron is following Biles' global performances closely. He joined thousands in congratulating her for a job well done at the Paris Olympic Games.

Biles teamed up with Jade Carey, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera to win a gold and reclaim their title, having won silver at the Tokyo Olympics.

She scored 14.900 points on vault before securing 14.4000 points on uneven bars. She then scored 14.366 on the balance beam and summed up her campaign with 14.666 points on the floor routine.

Lauding her efforts, Efron added Instagram stories congratulating Biles.

"So incredibly proud of you @simonebiles," he shared.

A screengrab of Zac Efron lauding Simone Biles (Source: Zac Efron Instagram stories)

Simone Biles claps back at MyKayla Skinner after winning team Olympic gold at Paris Olympics

Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Previews - Day -1 - Source: Getty

Simone Biles became the talk of the town after she slammed retired gymnast MyKayla Skinner for underestimating the current US team.

In a since-deleted YouTube video shot during the Olympics trials, Skinner had said that the current crop of gymnasts lacks discipline and work ethic. She singled out Biles as the only gymnast with the talent and skills.

"Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t what it used to be. I mean, obviously, a lot of girls just don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic. It’s hard too because of SafeSport," Skinner had said.

"Coaches can’t get on athletes and they have to be really careful what they say, which in some ways is really good, but at the same time, to get to where you need to be in gymnastics you do have to be a little aggressive, a little intense," she added.

After winning the gold, Simone Biles shared a photo of herself and her teammates on Instagram, captioning it:

"lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions ❤️🥇."

The comment has since invited comments from other gymnasts including Lee, Carey, and retired McKayla Maroney.

Biles is now gearing up for four other events, securing her spot after the qualifying round on Sunday. She will compete in the all-around individual event, balance beam, vault, and floor exercise.