First Lady Jill Biden, Dawn Staley cheer on US men's gymnastics team at Olympic qualifying

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PARIS —The U.S. men’s gymnastics team kicked off the 2024 Paris Olympics in front of a star-studded cheering section.

First Lady Jill Biden was in the crowd for the U.S. men's qualifying session Saturday morning, joined by Olympic gold medalists Dawn Staley, Bart Conner and Brian Boitano. Denise Campbell Bauer, the U.S. Ambassador to France, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass were also with Biden.

“I am thrilled that with her limited amount of time in Paris, she chose to bring her delegation to see men’s gymnastics," Conner, who won two gold medals at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, wrote in a text to USA TODAY Sports.

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The Americans had no idea Biden was in the crowd until after they were done competing.

"I walked up and they're like, 'Oh, Jill Biden's here.' What?? That's kind of awesome," Brody Malone said.

Even more awesome? The gymnasts got to meet Biden, who told them how proud she and the rest of the country are of them.

"That was pretty sick," Frederick Richard said.

Biden visited with the gymnasts for several minutes and took a photo with them. The team also took photos with the rest of Biden's party.

Paul Juda said he was still trying to process that Biden had watched them compete when he and his teammates met her. He shook his head when he recalled her complimenting them.

"I'm just a gymnast from Deerfield, Illinois," Juda said. "She said everybody from home supports us, (including) the President — that's just insane."

This isn't the first time Biden has gone to gymnastics at the Olympics. She went during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, too. But then, she was one of the few people in the stands, with strict COVID regulations prohibiting fans from attending events.

This time, she got to experience the entire atmosphere, with the crowds oohing and aahing over Richard’s high bar routine and gasping when Malone fell of high bar. Biden got into it, too, clapping several times during Richard’s floor exercise routine.

"I wish," Richard said, "I'd showed her a cooler floor routine."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Biden, Dawn Staley cheer on US men's gymnastics team at Olympics