The Olympic legend reflects on her Paris triumphs, mental recovery, and a possible LA 2028 return—on her own terms.
After an unforgettable run at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Simone Biles is back in civilian mode. No chalk on her hands. No eyes fixed on the beam. No clock ticking toward the next all-around. For now, she’s choosing calm over competition, safari over somersaults, and freedom over flips. Whether she returns for a fourth Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 remains a question she’s not in a rush to answer—and she’s totally okay with that.
Stillness After the Storm
The 28-year-old gymnast isn’t training. Not yet.
After collecting gold in team, all-around, and vault in Paris—plus a silver in floor—Biles wrapped up a grueling 35-city U.S. tour in November and took the long-overdue honeymoon she and husband Jonathan Owens, a safety for the Chicago Bears, had postponed.
A safari in South Africa was part of that trip. It was the kind of reset few athletes get to experience between Olympic cycles. And Biles is savoring every bit of it.
“Doing the Olympics takes a toll on your body,” she said, candidly. “I’ve sacrificed so much.”
No Need to Decide Just Yet
There’s a difference between retiring and resting.
Biles hasn’t used the “R” word. She just isn’t making any commitments right now. That might frustrate fans eager to see her continue her record-setting career, but she’s been through too much to let outside pressure dictate her pace.
“People think it’s just a one-year commitment, but it truly is the four years leading up,” Biles explained. And no, she’s not exaggerating.
Gymnastics at her level demands consistency, discipline, and constant mental focus—something she’s finally taking a break from. For now, she’s spending time with family and friends, a simple pleasure that often gets sidelined in the pursuit of Olympic greatness.
She’ll Be in LA—But How?
Whether she’s flipping in the air or waving from the stands, Biles has made one thing clear: she’ll be at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
But she didn’t say how.
That ambiguous promise—“I will be at the Olympics”—leaves the door open to anything. Commentator. Coach. Flag-bearer. Or competitor. And maybe that’s the beauty of it. For someone who’s done it all, she has the freedom to decide how she wants to show up.
-
Gold in team, all-around, and vault in Paris 2024
-
Silver in floor exercise at the same Games
-
Four-time Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
-
Longest-running dominance in U.S. women’s gymnastics history
-
Married to NFL player Jonathan Owens
And now? Possibly enjoying her first real break from elite competition since she burst onto the scene more than a decade ago.
Laureus Win Reflects More Than Medals
Biles recently picked up her fourth Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award—an honor that, like her Paris performance, cemented her as not just a champion but a cultural icon.
But this time, the award carried a different weight. It wasn’t just about winning.
It was about coming back from the lowest point in her career. About facing the pressure of a world expecting perfection and pushing through—on her own terms.
Her 2024 Olympic campaign wasn’t just triumphant. It was redemptive. And she’s treating that moment not as a springboard, but as a well-earned exhale.
The Veteran Voice Gymnastics Needs
Biles has become more than an athlete. She’s a voice, a symbol, a boundary breaker.
And whether she returns to the gym or not, that influence is here to stay. Her words carry weight in a sport where young athletes are often told to tough it out, push through, or stay silent.
Her openness about mental health struggles changed that conversation forever. Her presence in Los Angeles—whatever form it takes—will still inspire the next generation of gymnasts watching from home or competing beside her.
If she competes again, it’ll be on her terms. And if she doesn’t? She’s already done more than enough.
