You’d think the greatest gymnast to ever walk the earth would breeze through a ballroom competition, right? I mean, she flips through the air like gravity is just a suggestion. But when Simone Biles on Dancing with the Stars became a reality back in 2017, it wasn't the victory lap everyone expected. Honestly, it was kinda messy.
It was Season 24. Simone had just come off the "Final Five" high from the Rio Olympics. She was the golden girl. Everyone assumed the Mirrorball Trophy was basically hers to lose. But the reality of reality TV is a lot weirder than a balance beam.
The Sasha Farber Partnership
Simone was paired with Sasha Farber. They were a fun duo, genuinely. Sasha is known for being patient, and he needed to be. Simone is a perfectionist, but gymnastics perfection is "robotic" by ballroom standards. That was the first major hurdle. In gymnastics, you’re trained to hide your breath, hide your struggle, and keep a tight, disciplined face. On a dance floor? The judges want your soul on a platter.
They started strong. Their Quickstep and Tango showed she had the footwork, but there was this nagging critique from the judges. They kept saying she was "too perfect." It’s a weird thing to hear, right? "You're too good, so we're docking points." Basically, they felt she was performing a routine rather than feeling the music.
That "Gold Medal" Moment Everyone Remembers
If you remember one thing about Simone Biles on Dancing with the Stars, it’s probably the clapback.
It happened during Week 8. Simone and Sasha did a Paso Doble. It was sharp. It was technical. But the judges—Carrie Ann Inaba and Julianne Hough—weren't feeling the "emotion."
Host Tom Bergeron turned to her and said, "I was waiting for you to smile at some of the compliments, and you didn't."
Simone didn't blink. She just said: "Smiling doesn't win you gold medals."
The room went silent. Then the internet exploded.
It was such a raw, authentic moment from an athlete who had spent her entire life being told how to look, how to act, and how to represent her country. She was tired of the "policing" of her facial expressions. Honestly, can you blame her? She was 20 years old, exhausted from a post-Olympic whirlwind, and being told her smile didn't look "real" enough.
Why the judges were frustrated (and why they were wrong)
- The Gymnastics Trap: Judges like Len Goodman wanted "fluidity," but Simone’s muscles are literally built for explosive, rigid power.
- The "Authenticity" Myth: Reality shows crave tears. Simone is a competitor; she doesn't cry for cameras easily.
- The Narrative: The show tried to paint her as a "machine" that needed to find her "humanity." It's a tired trope they use for athletes.
The Shocking Semifinal Exit
The most baffling part of the whole season was the ending.
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In the semifinals, Simone and Sasha delivered two literal perfect scores. 40 out of 40 for their Jive. 40 out of 40 for their Rumba. They were at the top of the leaderboard.
And then? They were eliminated.
The studio audience gasped. You could see the other contestants—David Ross, Normani, and Rashad Jennings—looking genuinely stunned. Simone handled it like a pro, though. She joked on Good Morning America the next day that she thought they were "pulling a Steve Harvey" on her.
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She finished in fourth place. It’s a bit of a pattern for Olympic gymnasts on the show—Nastia Liukin and Aly Raisman also finished fourth. It seems like the "ringer" penalty is real. If you’re too good too early, the audience doesn't feel the need to vote for you because they think you're safe.
The Long-Term Impact
While she didn't get the trophy, the bond with Sasha Farber stayed. They didn't just walk away and never speak again. In fact, when Simone was prepping for the Tokyo Olympics (and later her massive 2024 comeback), she actually brought Sasha in to help choreograph her floor routines.
Think about that. The guy who taught her how to Samba helped her reinvent how she moves on the world stage. It added a level of artistry to her gymnastics that arguably wasn't there before the show.
Lessons from Simone’s DWTS Journey
- Technical skill isn't everything. In a popularity contest, vulnerability usually beats a perfect 10.
- Protect your boundaries. That "smiling" comment became a mantra for female athletes everywhere. You don't owe anyone a performative grin.
- Cross-training works. Using a ballroom pro for gymnastics choreography was a genius move that modernized her floor sets.
If you’re looking to watch her best moments, find the "Silent Forest" Contemporary piece or her final Rumba. They show a version of Simone that wasn't just an athlete, but an artist.
Next Steps for Fans: If you want to see how that ballroom training translated to the mat, go back and watch her 2021 or 2024 floor routines. Pay attention to the transitions between the tumbles—that’s the Sasha Farber influence. You can also check out her Netflix documentary, Simone Biles Rising, which touches on her needing to find her joy in performing again after years of intense pressure.