Are you ready for it? Alongside their triple twists and double pikes, fans are going to flip over the music the U.S. women’s gymnastics team selected to soundtrack their floor routines at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In their first day of competition at Bercy Arena, on July 28, Simone Biles along with teammates Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera and Sunisa “Suni” Lee paired music from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Travis Scott and more while landing gravity-defying twists and turns.
Because no lyrics are allowed in the music that accompanies gymnastics floor exercise, according to Olympic rules, so gymnasts have often opted for classical tunes. However, that’s changing as more gymnasts are incorporating instrumental versions of pop music into their routines.
“You always want, as a coach, to choose music that the athlete resonates with so they can really bring that music to life with their movement,” Valorie Kondos Field, former head coach of UCLA’s championship women’s gymnastics team that included Sophina DeJesus and Katelyn Ohashi, athletes known for their viral floor routines, told Yahoo Entertainment.
“There was a distinct time [around 2010] that I was at UCLA and I was trying to fill Pauley Pavilion, our stadium, our arena, and I just thought, ‘OK, sport is entertainment. How am I going to vie for the entertainment dollars, especially in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world?’” she said. “And I just realized that I really had to make our sport, gymnastics, as relatable as possible to the average fan. Not the gymnastics fan, but the average fan.”
Of course that comes at a cost at the Olympics, as the gymnasts first need to secure permission from the music’s copyright holders, according to guidance from the Games.
Keep in mind that this requirement is only for the women in competition — viewers won’t hear pop, rock or even classical music playing during the men’s gymnastics floor routines. This dates back to 1928, when women competed in the sport for the first time at the Olympics after the men debuted in 1896. While the focus for men was on strength, the sport highlighted traditional gender roles, centering “femininity and grace” for women, which music was supposed to enhance.
“For the men, music isn’t allowed for their floor routines,” Lindsey Ayotte, the head female gymnastics coach at the University of New Hampshire, told CNN. “There really isn’t a need for it since there isn’t any dance component to it. Their routines are mostly based on high-flying tumbling, strength and power. It’s not an option for them to use music.”
That said, this year’s leading female gymnasts competing for Team USA have made lots of noise (in a good way) with the tunes they’ve chosen — and gotten enthusiastic shout-outs from the artists, to boot.
Biles, Lee and Chiles are competing in the floor exercise at the women’s team final, which is currently in gold medal position overall, on July 30. Here are the tracks that have been shaking the floorboards:
Simone Biles
Overcoming her “twisties” setback from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, gold medal winner Biles hit the floor with a routine featuring Taylor Swift’s “…Ready for It?” that then transitions into “Delresto (Echoes)” by Travis Scott, featuring Beyoncé.
The routine, which Biles also performed at the June 28 Olympic team trials, was choreographed by French dancer Grégory Milan.
“Actually, my agent suggested Taylor Swift (and) then I found this Beyoncé song that I really liked and we kind of collabed it together … I do love Taylor Swift and I do love Beyoncé …. Those are my girls!” Biles told NBC.
Swift herself even responded to Biles’s routine after hearing her song from Reputation play during her routine.
“Watched this so many times and still unready,” the pop star posted on X. “She’s ready for it tho”
Watched this so many times and still unready. She’s ready for it tho👏👏👏🥇🇺🇸❤️
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 29, 2024
Jade Carey
Having won the gold medal for her 2020 floor routine at the Tokyo Games, Carey returned to her second Olympic Games with sports stadium anthem “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes. She also ended the routine with a signature “rock on” gesture.
The reigning Olympic champion, however, took a tumble during the July 28 qualifying round, eliminating her chances for a second gold medal in the floor event.
“I just have not been feeling well the past few days and haven’t been able to eat or anything,” Carey told Olympics.com. “I had, like, no energy today and didn’t really have a sense of what was going on in my head.”
Jordan Chiles
The second-time Olympian and 2020 silver medalist was all about Beyoncé during her floor routine at the Games. Chiles brought a medley of “My House,” “Energy” and (from Destiny’s Child) “Lose My Breath” to her performance.
She even reportedly added choreography inspired by poses the “Texas Hold ’Em” hitmaker is known for, including a “Run the World” shoulder shake.
Chiles told Olympics.com that “I’m that girl” is her motto — inspired by the Beyoncé song of the same name.
Queen Bey herself responded by sending the Olympic gymnast a signed message on her Cowboy Carter record, which Chiles posted on her Instagram Stories.
“Congrats to you Queen. I always watch you with pride and admiration!” Beyoncé wrote.
Sunisa “Suni” Lee
All-around champion Suni Lee chose a pop-violin instrumental from Lindsey Stirling during her floor routine on July 28.
This isn’t the first time the gymnast, who was diagnosed with two kidney diseases before her Paris Olympics debut, chose a piece from Stirling. Lee also opted for a Stirling composition for her floor exercise at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Hezly Rivera
First-time Olympian Hezly Rivera opted for holiday magic with her choice of “Carol of the Bells” from the a cappella quintet Pentatonix.
One of the Grammy Award-winning group’s singers, Scott Hoying, even took to TikTok to share his reaction to seeing Rivera perform the routine at the Olympic trials in June.
“You slayed,” he wrote in the caption.
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