Simone Biles leaves door open to return to Olympic gymnastics in 2028 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Simone Biles is a name that has transcended the gymnastics world, rising to become a household name at the 2016 Olympics, when she was just 19 years old. She has since competed in two more Olympics and won a plethora of medals.
Biles was also in the news during the Tokyo Olympics for withdrawing from select competitions due to mental health concerns. In a way, this also allowed her to become an advocate for athletes' mental health.
When the 2024 Olympics rolled around, the question on many minds was whether Biles would return. Not only did she return, but she did it in dominating fashion, securing three gold medals in Paris.
Now, with the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles on the horizon, the same questions are circling. Will Biles return to the global stage?
Here's what to know about Biles' Olympic status in 2028.
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Biles has not made a final decision on whether or not she'll compete in 2028. At this point, it's a coin flip for Biles.
"I feel like we’re still at a 50-50 and that we’re still on a time crunch here now it’s almost half of 2026," Biles told CNN's Amanda Davies. "We're going to have to make these decisions pretty quickly."
In an interview with CNN Sports, Simone Biles has offered a glimmer of hope to millions of fans around the world hoping to see her take to the floor for one last dance. https://t.co/Yq5NZA2CR5pic.twitter.com/VZOua5LuC2
Mental health remains a major factor for Biles in terms of her ability to compete. After her exit in Tokyo, Biles feels confident in her physical ability, but not her mental just yet.
"Mental is a huge thing and it's a lot of dedication on that because the road's not easy. It's long, but it's still work." Biles told Davies.
In Tokyo, Biles struggled with "the twisties," a mental difficulty that caused Biles to lose spatial awareness in the air. As a result, she became disoriented and did not feel safe performing many aspects of her routine.
Looking back on this moment in 2026, Biles still worries that this might affect her ability to compete. Although, she is still thankful for the spark of conversation that it created, both at a global level and for herself.
"It got me the therapy that I deserved, and I'm still currently in therapy." Biles told Davies.
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During her three Olympics, Biles amassed 11 total medals, including seven gold.
Simone Biles turned 29 years old in March. At the time of the 2028 Olympics, Biles would be 31.
Many top gymnasts retire in their early 20s, but Biles would not be an anomaly in this case. At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Vanessa Ferrari won a silver medal at 30. Uzbekistan's Oksana Chusovitina also competed in Tokyo at age 46.
