CHICAGO — Simone Biles will have a familiar face in her cheering section at the Paris Olympics.
The three-time Olympian told USA Today her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, has been given time off by the team to watch her compete in the Games.
Owens was in attendance at the U.S. Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis over the weekend as Biles earned her spot on Team USA, but was unsure if he'd be able to make it to Paris, due to the Bears' training camp schedule.
But Biles said in an interview that he'd be there "for just a short little time" after the team gave him a couple days off.
The Bears report to training camp on July 19, seven days before the Olympic opening ceremony on July 26. The women's gymnastics competition begins Sunday, July 28, with the team final scheduled for Tuesday, July 30.
Biles didn't say which days her husband was cleared to attend the Olympics.
Chicago is slated to play the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, Aug. 1, the same day as the women's gymnastics all-around competition is scheduled in Paris. Individual competitions are scheduled through Aug. 5.
The couple met on a dating app in March 2020 and began dating a short time later. They were married in April 2023.
While Paris will be Biles' third Olympics, it will be the first time her husband will be able to watch her compete in the Games. She won the all-around title at the 2016 Rio Olympics, before she and Owens met, then the coronavirus pandemic prevented spectators from attending the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Owens is often in attendance at Biles' meets when his schedule allows and last winter, Biles regularly appeared on the sidelines during games when Owens played for the Green Bay Packers.