Simone Biles has done it all in the gymnastics world, and at age 27 she’s not thinking about going for even more gold medals at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein after being named the magazine’s “2024 Sportsperson of the Year,” Biles explained that the sacrifices that would need to be made now compared to when she was younger may not be worth it to take part in a fourth Olympics.
“Life and death,” said Biles, who will be 31 when the L.A. Olympics begin. “Because I’ve accomplished so much, there’s almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what? I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when to be done.”
“If you go back, you’ll be greedy. Those are the consequences. But that’s also your decision to decide. What sacrifices would be made if I go back now? When you’re younger, it’s like, prom, college. Now it’s like, starting a family, being away from my husband. What’s really worth it?”
It’s a question that Biles, who owns 11 Olympic medals, including seven golds, doesn’t know the answer to at the moment.
Along with 11 Olympic medals, Biles has 30 total medals from the World Championships, which include 23 golds. She’s won it all, even though it’s yet to sink in the effect she’s had on the sport.
“I don’t think the reality has set in of what I’ve exactly done in the sport,” Biles said. “I can see it, and I hear it from people, and I see a glimpse of it, but the full magnitude I don’t think I’ve realized just yet. I don’t think I’ll realize ’til maybe I retire and look back in a couple years like, ‘Damn, she was good.’ Because I can see that, but I do it every day. So for me, it’s normal.”
Since leaving Paris, Biles has traveled the country as part of her 32-show “Gold Over America Tour,” attended NFL games featuring her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, and promoted the release of a four-part Netflix docuseries that followed her preparation for the 2024 Olympics.
After the Paris Games, Biles said “never say never” when asked if she would compete at the Los Angeles Olympics, before adding, “but I am getting old.” Now, with time and reflection, she appears ready to move on to the next chapter of her life.
