- Simone Biles has made no commitment to competing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and continues to deflect questions about a potential comeback, with mental health cited as a likely factor in her reluctance.
- Biles last competed at the Paris 2024 Games, where she claimed team, all-around, and vault gold medals along with a floor silver, but has not returned to competition since.
- The 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands are spotlighting the next generation of American gymnasts, while Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade — who defeated Biles for floor gold in Paris — is set to compete there.
Simone Biles Stays Silent on LA 2028 Comeback as Gymnastics World Moves Forward Without Her
For elite athletes at the peak of their careers, the prospect of competing at a home Olympics represents one of the most emotionally charged opportunities in sport. For Simone Biles, the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics could serve as the ultimate farewell — a chance to close one of the most celebrated and scrutinized chapters in gymnastics history on home soil, in front of an American crowd, and on her own terms. Yet despite the narrative weight of that possibility, Biles has offered no indication that she intends to return to competitive gymnastics, consistently sidestepping the question whenever it arises publicly.
Mental Health at the Heart of Biles’ Reluctance to Commit
The most plausible reason for Biles’ silence on her future is the immense psychological pressure that any public declaration would generate — in either direction. Should she announce a comeback, the weight of expectation from fans, sponsors, media, and the gymnastics community would descend immediately. Should she announce her retirement, she would face an entirely different wave of opinion, nostalgia, and scrutiny. Her experience at the Tokyo Olympics demonstrated in stark terms how suffocating that scrutiny can become. When Biles withdrew from multiple events in Tokyo to protect her mental and physical well-being, she was met with both widespread public support and sharp criticism from segments of the media and public who questioned her decision. That episode placed athlete mental health at the center of a global conversation — and it remains central to any discussion of what Biles does next.
Keeping her intentions private, for now, may be a deliberate and rational strategy. It affords Biles the space to make a decision that belongs entirely to her, free from the external pressures that have historically accompanied her every move in and out of competition. Her decision in Tokyo to step away from events she had trained years to compete in underscored that her well-being takes precedence over public expectation — and there is every reason to believe that principle continues to guide her approach today.
Life Beyond the Gym: Fashion, Social Media, and Jonathan Owens
In the period since her triumphant Paris 2024 campaign, Biles has visibly shifted her public focus toward her personal life and emerging interests outside of gymnastics. She has been exploring opportunities in fashion and social media, and her relationship with NFL player Jonathan Owens has remained a prominent and positive fixture in her public presence. Biles was recently seen embracing method dressing in London, incorporating a personal touch connected to Owens — a signal that she is enjoying a life outside the demanding structure of elite athletic training. Whether these pursuits represent a permanent transition away from competitive sport or simply a well-earned sabbatical remains unknown.
Rotterdam 2025 Puts the Next Generation Under the Spotlight
While speculation about Biles continues, the gymnastics world has not stood still. The 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, are currently providing a platform for a new wave of competitors to establish their international credentials. With several veterans of American women’s gymnastics absent from the competition, Rotterdam is functioning as a showcase for the gymnasts who will define the sport heading into the Los Angeles Olympic cycle. Two years remain before the 2028 Games, giving emerging athletes — and any returning veterans — time to build their qualifying cases.
Among the most notable names set to compete in Rotterdam is Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who delivered two of the most memorable results of the Paris Games. Andrade defeated Biles to claim floor exercise gold in Paris and finished as all-around silver medalist behind her — performances that cemented her status as one of the world’s premier gymnasts and established her as a central figure in the sport’s next chapter. Her return to competition in Rotterdam reinforces that the elite level of women’s gymnastics continues to evolve rapidly, with or without Biles in the lineup.
Paris 2024 Legacy and the Question of Los Angeles 2028
Biles’ performance in Paris was extraordinary by any measure. She captured gold in the team event, the individual all-around, and the vault, and added a silver medal on the floor exercise. It was a redemptive and historic showing that cemented her legacy as the greatest gymnast of her generation. Yet the months since Paris have passed without a competitive return, and that absence — while not necessarily meaningful this early in an Olympic cycle — will inevitably fuel questions about whether she is physically and mentally preparing for another Games as the 2028 deadline approaches.
For now, the question of a home Olympics finale for Simone Biles remains unanswered and open. She has not indicated publicly that she is training with Los Angeles in mind, nor has she closed the door definitively. The possibility persists precisely because she has chosen silence over certainty.
Why This Matters
The significance of Biles’ potential participation — or non-participation — in Los Angeles 2028 extends well beyond competitive gymnastics. As one of the most recognized athletes in American sports history, her decisions carry cultural and commercial weight that reverberates across the broader sports landscape. Her Tokyo withdrawal fundamentally shifted the public conversation around athlete mental health, influencing how sports organizations, broadcasters, and fans discuss the demands placed on elite competitors. A return to competition at a home Olympics would be one of the most-watched storylines in the history of the Games; a confirmed retirement would mark the formal end of an era. Either outcome will shape the public face of gymnastics heading into 2028, making her eventual decision one of the most consequential in the sport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Simone Biles confirmed she will compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics?
No. Simone Biles has made no commitment to competing at Los Angeles 2028 and has consistently avoided answering questions about a potential return to elite gymnastics. As of the most recent available information, she has not competed since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
What did Simone Biles win at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
At the Paris 2024 Games, Biles won gold medals in the team event, the individual all-around, and the vault. She also earned a silver medal on the floor exercise, where she was beaten by Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.
Who is competing at the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam?
The 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, are featuring a new wave of competitors as several established American veterans are absent. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who defeated Biles for floor gold at Paris 2024, is among the notable gymnasts set to return to competition at the event.
