The issue of the underpayment of Olympic athletes has been going on for quite a while. In a bid to resolve the same, the World Athletics has announced a $50,000 cash prize for all the gold medal winners. Now, this is certainly a step forward. But what about the majority of the athletes who did not win a gold? Well, they suffered significantly and had to fund their own expenses. Now, while this is the situation in athletics, gymnastics has been suffering even more.

In a shocking revelation made recently, the queen of US gymnastics, Simone Biles, earns a peanut compared to the top draws in sports. After the release of Forbes’ Top 10 highest-paid athletes, many would have tried to find Biles on that list. After all, she is the gymnastics GOAT. Competing in three Olympics till now, the 27-year-old has gifted America with 7 precious Olympic gold medals. Apart from that, she has had innumerable accolades and honors to her name.

It is because of Simone Biles that US gymnastics has attained an elite pedestal. Thus, it would only be normal for Biles must be one of the highest-paid stars. Well, not quite! While the number one on the list, Cristiano Ronaldo looks a league ahead with $260m, the numbers gradually decline as we go down. While there was no sign of Simone Biles in the top 10, the numbers themselves painted a harrowing picture.

Featuring at 10 on the Forbes list was Lamar Jackson. And his earnings read $100.5 million. To give a context, compared to this number, Biles did not come remotely close to what she was earning at the moment. As per the top 10 highest-paid female athletes’ list released by Sportico, Biles’ earnings read $11.1 million! Surprisingly, this meant that Biles was earning 10 times less than the 10th-placed athletes on the Forbes list!

And if you think that this was not enough shock for the gymnastics fans, the 27-year-old was the only one from her field to make the cut! Ahead of Paris, FIG President Morinari Watanabe was asked if they planned to give their medal winners additional financial aid. Unfortunately, Watanabe dismissed the idea, further highlighting the sorry state. Now, if these were not shocking enough, Simone Biles’ rank on Sportico’s list of Top 10 Highest Paid Females will turn heads even more.

Simone Biles faces shocking pay disparities despite historic success

In a recently published list from Sportico, the statistics reveal an even more disheartening scenario centering on the pay scale of gymnasts. And shockingly it is affecting the GOAT of the sport as well. Simone isn’t just earning almost 10% less than the 10th highest-paid athlete but in the list of highest-paid female athletes for the year, Biles ranks at the second last position just a place higher than teenage basketball NIL sensation Caitlin Clark. However, the total earning of Clark is just about a few thousand dollars less than the queen of gymnastics.

After facing a major setback in Tokyo, Biles made sure to carve history on her redemption tour in Paris. Stepping in the city of love, and representing the US, Biles secured 3 consecutive gold medals and one silver medal. After the Paris Games concluded, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced a payment of $37,500 for every gold medal, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze. The amount she received for winning 4 medals contributed a large part to Biles’ earnings of 11.1 million dollars.

Simone earns a salary of just $135,000 which is just $35,000 more than teenage basketball phenom Caitlin Clark. Whereas, Coco Gauff, the tennis sensation secures a salary of $9.4 million and a total earning of $30.4 million. Such a startling difference also results from the popularity of the sport. And proving the same, several NBA stars have continued to make a good fortune this season as well. However, in NBC’s live broadcast of the team final in Paris, 12.7 million viewers tuned in to watch Team USA compete. Still, the issue of underpayment for Olympians in several sports, including gymnastics, continues to reign.

There’s another shocker alongside all of these. The list from Sportico in the Olympic year still had Simone secure at least $135,000 as salary. The previous year, the same box reflected her earnings from winnings to be zero. All that Biles earned was from her endorsements which funded her till the US Olympic Trials. Is it because gymnastics is considered worth the attention of fans every four years? Such a revelation of Biles’s earnings from her wins to be fixed at zero left Australian gymnast Heath Thorpe stunned. She could not believe the fact as she stated, “It is wild to me that you can be as successful as Simone Biles in gymnastics and earn essentially ZERO dollars from prize money.”

With a huge number of accolades, countless wins, uncountable international glories, a cabinet full of medals, and earning the status of GOAT for her sport, nothing could up her rank in the statistical list of athletes with the highest earnings. Now, sports enthusiasts would just wait for the day when they will get to see their favorite athletes getting rewarded with what they truly deserve.

Flashback to 2022, when Simone Biles had fans swooning with the sweetest announcement ever: Baby Biles had arrived! Well, not her baby, but her brother Ron and sister-in-law Sammi’s cute little baby girl Ronni Biles. That was in October 2022, Simone shared happy photos on Instagram, one of which depicted a cake with the inscription “Baby Biles.” And in response to her happiness, she shared with others how they had the “dream baby shower,” and showered love all over the post. The soon-to-be aunt was also over the moon writing, “Congrats to my brother and sister-in-law,” and stating how the “baby girl is already so loved.” She even tagged the proud parents-to-be, because who doesn’t like to share the love?

Flash forward two years, and Ronni Biles is capturing our hearts once more, but this time, as a toddler with talent. Well, with an aunt like Simone Biles who has been setting the pace in gymnastics, it can easily picture her being on her way to the world of gymnastics and now the youngest member of the Biles family might be preparing for some flips and turns.

Simone Biles’ niece on her way to become a gymnast?

Simone Biles’ sister-in-law, Sammi Biles, gave us the cutest sneak peek into life with little Ronni Biles on December 21—and let’s just say, the youngest Biles is already on her way to a place in gymnastics history! Sharing her Instagram stories, Sammi captured an adorable moment from their cozy home. While lounging on her bed, she caught Baby Biles down on the carpet, completely mesmerized by Suni Lee’s 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Championship floor routine playing on TV. But Ronni didn’t just watch—oh no! She decided to channel her inner Suni, performing a tumbler, rolling, and even somersaulting to imitate the Olympic champion. Sammi humorously wrote, “She’s missing gymnastics season bc she keeps asking to watch it all while mimicking @sunisalee floor routine.”

This was not the end of the giggles. Sammi decided to give us another story, which was even more adorable when Ronni tried her best to mimic Suni’s routine one more time. Sammi was no exception and, she expressed her disbelief in adorableness in the second story by writing, “I can’t make this up.” Honestly, with a TV showcasing Suni’s magic and a tiny gymnast-in-the-making flipping her heart out on the carpet, this is the wholesome content we didn’t know we needed!

During the 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Championship, Suni Lee dazzled her way to fourth place with a solid score of 110.650, while Simone Biles, being her usual legendary self, soared to first with an eye-popping 119.750. But enough about those jaw-dropping scores; let’s flip back to the real scene-stealer—Baby Biles! This wasn’t her first tumble into the spotlight. Back in July, the little gymnast-in-the-making was already causing a stir by stepping onto the gym mat as she owned it.

Baby Biles is set to follow her aunt!

Yes, you heard that right! Simone Biles’ adorable niece, Baby Biles—has already found herself flipping and tumbling on the gym mat. Well, it seems that gymnastics really does indeed run in the Biles family! “Usually, you start in ‘mommy and me’ classes or as soon as you can walk,” Simone once said, and it looks like little Ronni has been following that strictly. While her legendary aunt began gymnastics at the age of 6 (which is actually considered late for a gymnast), Ronni’s family played it safer as she began at a younger age. At this age, baby Biles was already twerking at the family’s owned World Champions Centre (WCC) in Texas. Elite career incoming? Maybe!

On the Instagram page, Sammi Biles posted adorable pictures of Baby Biles on the spring floor at WCC owned by Simone’s parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles. Wearing a tiny GK Elite leotard, Ronni could not have looked any more comfortable as she did her own floor routine. “The way she is so intrigued w/ this sport at such a young age is so special for many reasons,” Sammi added. She also could not help but comment, “WCC’s littlest elite/honorary member—kidding, but ahhh so adorable.” And to be quite frank, who wouldn’t?

Not even Simone could contain herself from moments of pride. In May, during her visit to WCC, where Team USA stars like Simone train, the 7-time Olympic medalist boasted on Instagram, “WCC’s newest elite team member, my niece Ronni.” It’s clear Ronni’s obsession with gymnastics is as strong as Simone’s medal collection, and it’s only just the beginning of this tiny powerhouse.

As curtains are set to draw down on the 2024 year, it is time to reflect on the achievements of the players on and off the court. With women’s sports growing massively, it has been a fantastic year for female athletes, who have left no stone unturned in their efforts. Forbes recently released the list of the highest-earning sportswomen of the 2024 season. While tennis stars dominated the list, there were some surprising entrants in the top 10, including the American legend, Venus Williams.

The 44-year-old has played just two tournaments this year and lost in the first rounds of both events. Additionally, she was absent from the Grand Slam tournaments and didn’t feature at the US Open. Despite her on-court absence, the elder Williams sister didn’t disappoint off the court and she even overtook Simone Biles in the Forbes list of highest-earning sportswomen this year.

Williams earned $12.1 Million this year and barring 0.1 Million, all her earnings came from off-court activities. The American legend has several endorsement deals in her kitty and she is one of the most marketable athletes even today. While Williams earns a lot as a public speaker, she is an ambassador for various brands and is also an entrepreneur.

On the contrary, Biles is placed in the 10th spot, a rung below Williams in the Forbes list. She earned $11.2 Million in 2024, with $11 Million coming from her off-field activities. Unlike Williams, Biles was active this year and made several appearances at the Gymnastics tournaments. The Forbes list is topped by the American sensation, Coco Gauff, who made a whopping $34.4 Million this year.

Coming back to Venus though, despite being a Millionaire, she spends her money wisely. She once revealed precious financial advice for her fans.

Owing a house has become a massive trend in America. People give up their life-long savings in order to own a property. However, Venus Williams has a contrary opinion when it comes to owning a property.

Talking about those who feel that owning a house is an American dream, she revealed, “I don’t think owning your house is the American dream. You should own the house once you’ve done everything else. Once you’ve invested your money, once it’s working for you, then maybe buy the house. Instead of putting that $100,000, $200,000 on that down payment, should you just rent a place and invest that money? You should compare the returns.”

Traditionally speaking, owning a house has been considered a financial success. As per one of the surveys, 78% of Americans considered owning a house to be very important. Despite the advantages of owning a house, renting a property is, however, less expensive for a starter. Thus, Williams feels that the priorities should shift as per the economic trends. What are your thoughts on it?