As gymnast Simone Biles prepares to compete in her first Olympics in Rio, the American team that won the sport’s gold medal 20 years ago is rallying behind her.
The Magnificent Seven—the members of the 1996 U.S. women’s gymnastics team—recently spoke to TIME about Biles’ potential, with one noting that “there has never been anyone more heavily favored for the Olympic games’ all-around title.”
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Jaycie Phelps, who has known Biles since she was a child, spoke about how the 19-year-old’s talent has always been apparent. “You can tell in a gymnast when they’ve got something,” Phelps said. “When I was coaching, I knew her as a younger gymnast and she always had this incredible talent. Everybody looked at her and said that kid’s going to do something big some day.”
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