In 2013, when Italian gymnast Carlotta Ferlito infamously quipped, “Next time we should also paint our skin black, so we can win too,” Simone was unfazed. “It went viral, but it didn’t bother me one bit,” she proclaims. “I guess I just have really tough skin. I was like, whatever.”Photographed by Jason Kibbler adidas superstar 2 gold Simone is heavily favored to nearly sweep Rio, but she maintains that her top priority is staying healthy. Beyond that, she says she hopes to contribute to a consecutive group gold for the United States. As Simone shares, “The team comes first.”Photographed by Jason Kibbler adidas superstar 2 gold August 2013, and yet her most impressive skill of all is making the impossible look easy. Even now, as Simone faces the largest challenge to date — competing at her first Olympic Games — the athlete maintains her cool. “It’s never been a goal,” she says in her soft, almost childlike voice.“I take things one step at a time.” adidas superstar 2 gold but can speak with gravitas when necessary. Perhaps most significantly, at the ballot box he hasserious support from older black votersapowerful force in Democratic primaries adidas superstar 2 gold