RIO DE JANEIRO – Ron Biles sat quietly as he watched his daughter Simone fulfill the first part of her golden Olympic destiny, joining in with an occasional chant of “U-S-A” but for the most part watching contentedly with fatherly pride.
And as Simone and her victorious teammates charged around the venue Tuesday to where the American families sat, the world’s finest gymnast looked into the stands and blew kisses.
“Mom!,” she yelled. “Dad!”
Ron is not only Simone's maternal grandfather but also her father – legally, practically and emotionally. He and his wife Nellie adopted Simone and her sister Adria when Simone was six, after their biological mother, Shanon Biles, experienced drug and alcohol issues and the children went through various foster homes.