The 2024 Olympics will have a distinctly French flavor to them.
So too will Simone Biles' meticulously choreographed routines.
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One of the most dominant gymnasts in history is officially heading to Paris with Team USA after recently winning the US Olympic trials and making her family cry.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist became a global phenomenon with her stunning performances at the 2016 Games in Rio. But three years ago she suffered a bad run at the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo after getting a public case of the "twisties" - a kind of mental block gymnasts can experience during performances.
She subsequently withdrew from events to focus on her mental health.
Now, the 27-year-old, who is set to become the oldest US Olympic female gymnast since 1952, is seemingly back to her best and bidding for more gold in Paris with the help of Frenchman Gregory Milan.
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Milan is a full-time dance instructor for the French national team who is a longtime friend of Biles' coach, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi.
The 51-year-old Milan, known for his trademark exuberance and flamboyance, has an extensive background in dance having had his own rollercoaster career in the classic art form.
According to The New York times, he was accepted into the Paris Opera Ballet School as a youngster but ultimately failed to make it at the prestigious school.
Disheartened but not disillusioned, Milan continued to dance and was a member of Victor Ullate Ballet in Spain before moving to the Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux, in France, in 1995.
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Ten years later, his career as a soloist was over but his passion for dance burned brighter than ever.
He spent years trying to build his own dance company up but struggled to establish himself with a lack of financial backing.
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He started working with gymnasts in the 2010s and turned to gymnastics choreography full-time in 2017.
Milan's base is at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance, or Insep, in Paris where his reputation as an innovator has steadily grown.
His pure dance background is certainly a break from the norm for gymnasts, who usually work with specific gymnastics coaches and former athletes who simply enjoy dance on the side.
Milan has closely worked with gymnasts to develop their choreographies and has also assisted the French women’s gymnastics team, leading to their gold in Portimao at the World Challenge Cup.
He met Biles in 2022 in the American's home gym in Spring, Texas. Milan was initially tasked with working with Landi's other gymnasts but Biles liked what she saw.
She wanted to work with him more closely, and within a matter of days they'd collaborated to make her Olympic floor routine.
“Simone saw what I was doing, and she liked it,” Milan said.
"Simone is a bit crazy too; she’s like a grasshopper, she has dynamism, she has energy, but it’s incredible," he said more recently.
"So I liked working with Simone because I liked this temperament."
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Biles' dazzling ground routine, masterminded by Milan, was on full display at the US Olympic Team Trials in Minneapolis, Minnesota in June.
For her second floor routine, Biles performed Milan's choreographed act which saw her land a triple-double, also known as the “hardest tumbling pass in the entire world."
The performance, which featured an instrumental version of “...Ready for It?” by Taylor Swift and music by Beyonce, understandably went super viral.
"A Simone Biles and Taylor Swift crossover just makes sense," one fan posted.
“Everybody kind of wanted something different – choreographer, as well as music,” Biles said of her new routine.
“I actually hate learning a new floor routine, that’s the worst part for me. So, I just kind of let everybody pick whatever they wanted. Actually, my agent suggested Taylor Swift (and) then I found this Beyoncé song that I really liked and we kind of collabed it together … I do love Taylor Swift and I do love Beyoncé …. Those are my girls!"
Biles went on to win the US Olympic trials, recording an all-around total of 117.225 to secure an automatic spot on the Unites States' five-woman team.
Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera will join Biles in Paris, who will become only the fourth US female gymnast in history to compete in three Olympics.
Biles and Milan have been working more closely than ever in the build up to the Paris Games.
The American star has posted countless footage of Milan twirling and lifting her during practice as they hone their routines together.
"Your energy is electric,” she wrote in one post, “everyone needs a greguito in their life!!! we always have the best time!".
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Their chemistry is undeniable and Biles has evidently bought into Milan and his methods.
The Olympic women's gymnastics events are scheduled from July 28 through August 10 in Paris, where Biles, and Milan, will be hoping she can add yet more gold to her already impressive haul.