Throughout the Summer Olympics, everyone in these United States has been talking about Simone Biles. The world’s greatest gymnast has already won one gold medal in Rio and will almost certainly win a couple more before the games conclude. I’ve certainly been talking a lot about Simone Biles, who might be the best competitor in the history of her sport. Simone Biles this and Simone Biles that, blah blah blah, that’s what I’ve been saying. But recently I had a horrifying thought: Have I been confusing American gymnast Simone Biles with Lithuanian swimmer Simonas Bilis?
If you’re like me, you’ve been asking yourself the same thing. How can you tell if you’ve accidentally been referring to Simone Biles’ amazing recipe for Lithuanian potato pudding or Simonas Bilis’ signature underwater “double lay half out,” known as the Bilis? Read this guide to be sure you don’t embarrass yourself in front of your Lithuanian gymnastics friends, or in front of the U.S. swim team.
Name: Simonas Bilis
Age: 22
Height: 6-foot-5
Birthplace: Panevezys, Lithuania
Sport: swimming
Known for: As a student at North Carolina State, Bilis was named the 2016 male swimmer of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He is not very famous outside the world of swimming and has starred in no commercials, though someone did post to YouTube a slow-motion video of Bilis’ starting routine, and the clip sort of looks and sounds like a found-footage horror movie.
Signature moment: Setting the Lithuanian national record in the 100-meter freestyle in 2016 with a time of 48.64 seconds.
Best quote: “Uh, I don’t really think about the times, when I went in, I just knew what I need to do. I know I kind of had a bad turn and messed up that one. But I didn’t really think about other guys, I just knew what I need to do to go fast.”
Nemesis: Probably Shinri Shioura of Japan, with whom he tied for 14th place in the men’s 50-meter freestyle heats on Thursday.
What he would tell Simone Biles if he ran into her at the Olympic Village: “Hello, my name is Simonas Bilis. I am a Lithuanian swimmer. I stand 6-foot-5 and I attend North Carolina State University. Lithuania is a land of contrasts. My hometown of Panevezys is sister city to Kingston, Jamaica. The president of my nation is Dalia Grybauskaite. You’ve got to try some of this potato pudding.”
Name: Simone Biles
Age: 19
Height: 4-foot-8
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio
Sport: gymnastics
Known for: Being the best gymnast ever. As NBCOlympics.com observed, “Not only is she the first female gymnast since 1974 to win four consecutive all-around titles at the U.S. national championships, but she’s also the first woman ever to be the all-around world champion three years in a row.” She is very famous and has starred in several commercials.
Signature moment: Leading the U.S. team to gold in the women’s all-around gymnastics event earlier this week in Rio.
Best quote: “I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.”
Nemesis: This bee.
What she would tell Simonas Bilis if he ran into her at the Olympic Village: “Who are you?”
