US Gymnast "Overcharged 35 Million Won for Champagne at Paris Club"

Biles Reveals Experience at Paris Club on TikTok
"$26,000 Champagne Bill... Didn't Drink It"

Simone Biles (27), the legendary American gymnast who won a total of four medals at the Paris Olympics, revealed that she was charged an absurdly expensive price for champagne at a club in Paris, France, which she visited after the Olympic closing ceremony. On the 20th (local time), Fox News reported, "Biles recalled a ridiculous story she experienced at a club in Paris in a video posted on her TikTok account."

On the 3rd (local time), at the 2024 Paris Olympic women's vault gymnastics medal ceremony held at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France, American Simone Biles, who won the gold medal, is smiling brightly. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In the video, Biles said, "After the Olympic closing ceremony ended, I went to a club to enjoy a party, and I was shocked to see a bill for a bottle of champagne costing $26,000 (about 34.6 million KRW). I definitely did not buy it." She claimed that the club falsely charged her for the champagne. She added, "Of course, I did not pay for the champagne, but I don't know why they tried to scare me. It's crazy."

She then said this experience "shows the downside of the attention received as a famous sports star," adding, "Sometimes it's better not to attract people's attention. I want to live as normally as possible." The video went viral with over 1.8 million views on TikTok, and netizens who saw the video reacted with comments such as "26,000 dollars is ridiculous," "Isn't this a scam?" and "Please tell us which club it was." However, Biles did not disclose specific details about the club or the name of the champagne.

Earlier, during the Olympics, Biles also criticized her experiences in Paris. On the 5th, she explained that the reason she fell during her balance beam routine was because the audience was too noisy, which disrupted her concentration. She also expressed dissatisfaction with the Olympic Village cafeteria food, saying it was not authentic French cuisine.

Known as a legend in American gymnastics, Biles won three gold medals and one silver medal, totaling four medals at this Olympics. American Olympic athletes receive a reward of $38,000 (about 50 million KRW) for each gold medal and $23,000 (about 30 million KRW) for each silver medal. The total prize money Biles will receive from this Olympics amounts to $137,000 (about 182 million KRW).