The USA Gymnastics Team Has A Surprising Amount Of Tattoos

The artistic gymnast events at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games have officially concluded, and Team USA — which includes Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera — fearlessly took home the gold. As they begin their returns to their native cities to celebrate with friends and family, the champions have a chance to let their accomplishments sink in. Some of the Olympians may even take that literally, as they've done in the past, by making a trip to their local tattoo parlor.

On the list of ink-savvy gymnasts sits Biles, Chiles, and Lee. All three athletes sport Olympic-themed ink on their arms, though some more than others, and in the past have taken advantage of their post-Olympics cool-down period to add to their artwork. While not every Team USA athlete has ink — Rivera isn't even 18 years old yet — there's every possibility that some of the gymnasts will sit for another tattoo to commemorate their collective success at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They did earn the second-most number of gymnastics medals this year, after all. In the meantime, check out these American heroes' existing ink below.

Simone Biles is undeniably one of the most talented gymnasts in the history of the Olympics. The 27-year-old earned three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, her third time competing on the global stage. To commemorate her debut at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, Biles shared an Instagram photo showing off her first tattoo: the Olympic rings.

She captioned the post in part, "[F]irst tat ... never too late to get the rings tatted ..." The minimal design rests along the side of her right forearm and is a testament to her craft.

Simone Biles revealed more of her ink during the InStyle Awards back in 2021. On the red carpet, she displayed two cursive script tattoos. The ink on her left wrist reads, "golden," which could be a reference to her gold medals.

Her other cursive tattoo, which sits just underneath her right collarbone, is another personal reference and is fully visible in a photo uploaded to her Instagram. "And still I rise," the ink reads, which is the title of one of Maya Angelou's poetry collections.

On the back of Simone Biles' right arm, just above her elbow, is "1997" — her birth year. This subtle tattoo isn't easily visible through her long-sleeved gymnastic leotards, and it isn't the only hidden tattoo the Olympic medalist has up her sleeve, either. For her 21st birthday, Biles decided to get ink on the inside of her bottom lip. "It just says XO," she told NBC Sports in 2018. "It's a little faded. I need to get it touched up. ... I've always wanted a lip tat, and I heard it didn't hurt. So I went and got one."

Gold-medal Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles is another Team USA member with a collection of ink. However, Chiles' heavily inked upper body, which contains over 30 tattoos in total, definitely stands out from the others. Her left arm features the bulk of her ink, including tattoos of a rose, a snake, and a tiny flame in red ink. Chiles' tattoo sleeve also includes a bow tattoo — one of 2024's biggest ink trends — along with ornamental sparkles on her shoulder and fingers. You can also spot the word "Patience" on the back of her hand.

Jordan Chiles' partial sleeves wouldn't be complete without the iconic Olympic rings. Chiles is the third member of Team USA to have the five-ring symbol tattooed on their arm. In this case, Chiles' Olympic rings sit just above her elbow. On the other side, she has the "444" angel number tattooed on the inside of her left arm, along with the word "golden" in all caps below it. Fun fact: Simone Biles has all three of these tattoos in common with Chiles, though Biles' "444" ink was a couples tattoo with her husband, Jonathan Owens.

The gymnast's fine line tattoo was on display in a behind-the-scenes snapshot with teammate Simone Biles and features two koi fish with ornamental details that run along her spine. The two koi circle each while the abstract water ornaments trail upward to the nape of her neck. The 23-year-old Oregon native also has tattoos of three butterflies, the number "23," and the word "energy" along the back of her upper arm. On her forearm, her cursive ink reads, "Where you are, I have been. Where I am, you will be," in honor of her grandfather and aunt, who both sadly passed away in 2023.

Jordan Chiles' rose tattoo is one of the her more obvious ones, as gymnasts typically wear their hair tied up and back. In an Instagram photo from earlier this month, we got a closer look at the floral design, which sits just behind her left ear. Her followers also got a sneak peek of her other back tattoos, including the ink along her left shoulder blade, which reads, "You have struggled...you have overcome," and the other just below, which says, "My grace is sufficient for you...2 Corinthians 12:9."

In 2021, Olympic medalist Sunisa "Suni" Lee took to Instagram to show off her first tattoo, captioning her Story, "did a thingggg." Lee followed in Biles' footsteps by opting for a tattoo of the Olympic rings on her right forearm to commemorate her success at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she made her Olympic debut. Lee faced some difficulty at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a tumble off the balance beam, but she didn't let it get her down, leaving the competition with two bronze medals and a gold medal for the team all-around. The Olympic manicure queen never lets us down.