Simone Biles Says the ‘Haters Hate’ Her G.O.A.T. Nickname — Which Inspired Her to Get Goat Necklace

Biles won her second gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and sixth Olympic gold medal overall, on Thursday, August 1 in the all-around final

Simone Biles of Team United States posing with the Olympic Rings and a goat charm on her necklace during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s All-Around Final medal ceremony on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty

Simone Biles is opening up about how the ‘haters’ have inspired her!

In an interview that aired on the BBC on Thursday, August 1 at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Olympic gymnast, 27, said that she was motivated to get her necklace with a goat pendant due to naysayers not liking her being branded as the ‘Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T).’

“It’s a little ode, I mean a lot of people love it, they always call me the G.O.A.T so I thought it would be really special if I got one made,” she said. “And the haters hate it so I love that even more and it’s just a special part of me that I have here, as well as in the village I have like a stuffed goat, just to get a reminder: ‘You can go out there, you can do it, you’ve done it before, so let’s go.’ ’”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Simone Biles at the women’s all around final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on August 1, 2024.LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty

Simone Biles Calls Dad Ronald ‘Sooo Freaking Cute’ for Using Binoculars as She and Team USA Win Olympic Gold

On Thursday, Biles won gold at the all-around final. Marking her second gold of the 2024 Games and her sixth Olympic gold overall, the champion was handed the silver chain with a sparkly goat by her teammate Jordan Chiles after the win and put it on.

“My goat necklace, is just kind of an ode, because the people love it and then some people hate it, so it’s like the best of both worlds,” she told reporters, including PEOPLE, in a press conference after the all-around final. “And I was like, okay, if it goes well, I’ll wear the goat necklace, I know people will go crazy over it.”

Simone Biles at the women’s all around final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on August 1, 2024.LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty

Beyoncé Narrates Simone Biles’ Journey to Olympic All-Around Gold: ‘Such Beauty in Her Power’

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Biles continued, “But at the end of the day, it is crazy that I’m in the conversation of greatest of all time athletes, because I still think I’m Simone Biles from Spring, Tx. that loves to flip.”

Meanwhile, the star’s new triumph comes after she became the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history after winning her eighth Olympic medal earlier this week.

Simone Biles competes on the uneven bars during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s All-Around Final on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris.Jamie Squire/Getty

Biles and her Team USA teammates — Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera —  won gold in the women’s gymnastics team final on Tuesday, July 30. Biles’ gold medal win on Thursday, August 1 brings her total tally to nine Olympic medals.

She had previously won gold in the all-around competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympics newsletter, to get the biggest stories from the Games delivered straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.