The Olympic gold medalist spoke with ET about the young gymnast's prospects.
Mary Lou Retton has high hopes for Simone Biles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 56-year-old gold medalist spoke with ET's Deidre Behar about the 27-year-old gymnast, whom she refers to as "the GOAT" or greatest of all time.
When asked if this will be Biles' summer, Retton gushed to ET, "No doubt. Everyone's going to be watching women's gymnastics to see who gets second, seriously."
Jokingly calling Biles a "super freak," Retton continued, adding, "You can't teach what kind of talent she has. The only thing she's lacking is a gold on bars. I think that's what is her motivation. Her body, she doesn't have many injuries, she's just so strong."
Retton, an Olympian herself, said that she hasn't been in touch with Biles or her family since her career blew up, but that she spoke to them early on.
"Before her first Olympics — her parents are wonderful — and I placed a call and said, 'If you guys ever need advice or any help,'" Retton shared. "I said, 'She's gonna be big. And it's gonna be overwhelming. And you're not gonna really know where to go or where to turn to.'"
Noting that her experience was "a little bit different" from Biles' in that Biles had an agent heading into the Olympics, Retton noted that the industry has changed.
"I'm glad it's moved that way, especially women's sports," she said. "We're making tremendous strides. We need to make more, especially in the professionals."
Retton became a national celebrity at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when she became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in gymnastics.
As for whether or not she will attend the Paris Olympics, Retton says she hasn't decided yet if she'll brave the flight amid her ongoing health battle but that she "of course" wants to cheer on Team USA in Paris.
In October 2023, Retton suffered a "scary" lung-related episode in which she was "oxygen-deprived" in her brain. The near-fatal experience has left her relying on an oxygen tube and with permanent scarring on her lungs.
The Olympics kick off in Paris on July 26 and wrap up on Aug. 11. This will be Biles' first Olympics since 2020's in Tokyo, where she suffered from the "twisties" and had to forgo competing for Team USA in several tournaments.
To date, Biles is the most-decorated gymnast in history.
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