Simone Biles leaves 2028 Olympic decision open despite LA appeal

Simone Biles has not decided whether she will try to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, saying she still has time to weigh the choice. The American gymnast would be 31 when the Games begin. Biles, who has competed at the Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris Olympics, said the question remains sufficiently unresolved that it sometimes wakes her during the night.

She said she did not yet need to reach a final decision, although she was beginning to understand which direction she might take. The prospect of competing at an Olympics in the United States is a significant attraction. Biles said the possibility of a home Games was difficult to ignore, while also acknowledging that she would need to assess what another Olympic campaign would require.

Several athletes associated with Biles are already looking towards Los Angeles, including Olympic teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey. Katelyn Ohashi has also returned to elite competition after a 13-year absence, adding to the sense of a potential reunion, Biles said. However, Biles said the circumstances surrounding a bid for a fourth Olympic team would differ from those she faced when preparing for Rio a decade ago.

She and her husband, Indianapolis Colts player Jonathan Owens, would like to start a family, and she said questions about timing and reproduction were among the major issues she needed to consider. Biles has won seven Olympic gold medals across her three Games. She said the fear of missing a home Olympics was real, but that the appeal of Los Angeles had to be balanced against the personal sacrifices involved in attempting to return to the sport’s highest level.