It still happens to Simone Biles . Even now, after two Olympics , six world championships , and a decade-plus in the spotlight.
The most decorated gymnast of all time and the face of the U.S. Olympic movement will be chatting with someone when her age comes up.
"They're like 'Oh my god, you're so cute, you're a kid'" Biles told The Associated Press with a somewhat exasperated laugh. "Like I want to say 'I'm grown. I'm an adult now. I'm 27 years old.'"
Yet the perception of Biles as a pony-tailed prodigy persists even as the demographics at the top of her sport shift.
Maybe it's because all but one of the last 13 Olympic champions have been teenagers, including Biles when she triumphed in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago and U.S. teammate and good friend Sunisa Lee, who was 18 when she edged Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade in a taut final in Tokyo in 2021.
