Simone Biles & Megan Rapinoe Were Impossibly Cute Getting Their Medals Of Freedom

Megan Rapinoe and Simone Biles have another medal to add to their impressive collections. No, you didn’t miss the Olympics — on Thursday, July 7, President Joe Biden awarded each of the superstar athletes with the highest civilian honor possible, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Though they already have a ton of medals worth cheesing about, it looks like this one takes the cake for the Olympians, because the photos of Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe’s Medal of Freedom ceremony are too cute.

Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe’s long list of accomplishments just got even longer, and they couldn’t be happier. After announcing his picks for the prestigious award on July 2, President Biden awarded Biles and Rapinoe with their newest ~bling~ in a ceremony held at the White House on Thursday. Aside from her skills on the soccer field, Biden chose Rapinoe as one of the 17 Americans to receive the 2022 honor for her racial justice, gender pay gap, and LGBTQ+ advocacy, according to the July 2 White House Brief. Biles, on the other hand, earned her medal for her bravery in speaking out against former USA Gymnastics coach Larry Nassar in 2018, as well as bringing awareness to the mental health of athletes and advocating for children in the foster care system.

As you’d probably expect, each of the recipients of the honorable award were all smiles during the ceremony. But based on the pictures from the event, no one was happier to be there than Megan Rapinoe and Simone Biles.

In one photo, Biles can be seen showing off her pearly whites and looking up adorably at the President as he ceremoniously places the medal around her neck. (Oh, and you even get a glimpse of her stunning engagement ring, too.) Biles clearly has a contagious smile, because Biden was grinning from ear to ear right back at her. It’s so wholesome, my heart can’t take it.

Biles took to Instagram after the ceremony to share another equally smiley pic and to express her gratitude, writing, “I’m so honored and thankful to be recognized for this prestigious award. I still have no words. I’m shocked!”

By the time Biden rolled around with her medal, Rapinoe, who was dressed to the nines in an all-white power suit, was cheesing so hard she could barely keep her eyes open. After he placed the red, white, and blue medal around her neck, the two shook hands, and the President finally got to see Rapinoe’s giant smile for himself.

Though she hasn’t posted to the grid about the memorable moment as of July 8, Rapinoe did share a number of posts on her Instagram Story from her friends and teammates expressing their excitement for the soccer star, including Rapinoe’s former USWNT co-captain Alex Morgan, her sister and former athlete Rachael Rapinoe, soccer player Sofia Huerta, and more.

Rapinoe also shared a close-up of her suit jacket from the event on her IG Story, which featured an embroidered rose next to the letters “BG” as a touching tribute to fellow female athlete and WNBA star Brittney Griner. Griner, who was arrested in Russia in February 2022, is currently on trial for drug charges in the country, and the United States has declared her wrongfully detained.

Also receiving their honors alongside the deserving athletes were former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, civil rights attorney Fred Gray, and New York nurse Sandra Lindsay, among others. Senator John McCain and Steve Jobs each received a posthumous medal, as well.

Rapinoe and Biles’ multiple Olympic gold medals might be nothing to sneeze at, but judging by the photos from the July 7 Medal of Freedom ceremony, this might be their sweetest victory yet.