Simone Biles & Michael Phelps' Friendship Is Cute

If this isn’t the most adorable thing to come out of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, then I don’t know what is. On Tuesday Sports Illustrated released behind-the-scenes footage of Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps, and Simone Biles posing for their August 22 cover, and seeing Biles besides Phelps totally warmed my heart. Why? Because she is just like any of us would be, so giddy and grinning from ear-to-ear. While Katie Ledecky talks casually to the camera, Biles keeps smiling through the whole thing, occasionally looking up at Phelps like the adoring fan she is. But are Michael Phelps and Simone Biles friends in real life?

It doesn’t seem to be possible for these two to have met before in the past. With the Rio Olympics being Biles’ first Olympic games and both of them busy training year-round, it seems unlikely that they’ve crossed paths too often before spending time together in Rio. But, when these two gold medal winners did spend time together, it was definitely as friends. In a picture that Biles’ coach posted to Twitter, their happy-go-lucky attitudes were on display. As well as the shocking difference in their respective heights. It doesn’t necessarily prove that they’re best friends, of course, but it could mean that they have a friendly future ahead of them. Opposites attract, right?

Even though these two probably weren't friends before Rio, seeing them posing together for the Sports Illustrated cover and for a funny social media post, I could definitely see them getting along. They at least have the same taste in accessories. With almost 10 medals between them from this Olympic games alone, these two definitely have their talent in common. Their height, not so much, but that never stopped anyone from being best friends forever now did it?

I mean, look at that high five at the end of the video. That looks like a fast-forming friendship to me.