It’s a special night for Simone Biles as she competes for her second all-around gold at the Paris Olympics, and her husband, Jonathan Owens, is going all out in his support by meticulously keeping track of her scores and cheering her on.
Biles is in the women’s gymnastics all-around final on Thursday, August 1, aiming to replicate her Olympic triumph from the 2016 Rio Games and to overcome the challenges she faced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she had to withdraw due to the “twisties.”
This time, she is the favorite for gold, and Owens, whom she married last year, along with her parents, are in the stands to support her.
Owens has taken a particular interest in tracking Biles’ scores, a tradition taught to him by Biles’ mother, Nellie. He now dutifully notes her scores on each apparatus throughout the competition. For this special occasion, Owens brought out a unique pen—a Mona Lisa-themed pen he purchased at the Louvre Museum earlier that day, as revealed on his Instagram Stories.
The 29-year-old NFL player shared a video, originally posted by Chicago Bears content producer Jasmine Baker, of him twirling the pen after his visit to the Louvre. Baker captioned the video, “@jowens new pen for the notes tonight…Mona Lisa about to witness the ?,” highlighting the significance of the moment.
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Biles explained the origins of Owens’ and her parents’ scorekeeping habits after the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials in June. “So my parents, since they were younger, always have the scoresheets out there. And my mom and dad, they never used to display scores like everybody, so they would take notes and scores of every athlete,” Biles said at a press conference. “At the last meet, Jonathan saw my parents doing it. And he was like, ‘Where’d you get that? I need one of those.’ Because whenever he learns about something, he wants to really dive in.”
Owens elaborated on his new role as a dedicated supporter while talking to reporters at Bears training camp last week, sharing his excitement about flying out to Paris for the Olympics. “I can’t wait to be able to support her,” he said. “It’s the person you love most, man, and you see them out there in a position where someone could get hurt and you care. I’m just holding my breath and I have my little piece of paper right there ready, calculating everything, so I can’t wait.”
Earlier that Thursday, Owens shared more about his Louvre visit on Instagram, including a humorous Photoshopped picture of Biles among the museum’s many works of art. “Walked past some history in the Louvre today,” he captioned the photo, adding a laughing crying emoji and a flame emoji, highlighting the joy and pride he feels for his wife.
As Simone Biles aims for gold, her husband’s heartfelt support and meticulous note-taking symbolize the strong bond they share and the unwavering dedication he has for her achievements.
