Simone Biles has not said yes to Los Angeles 2028. She has not said no either. For now, the most decorated gymnast of her generation is leaving the biggest question of the next Olympic cycle deliberately unanswered. At 29, Biles is still weighing whether she wants to make another Olympic run, with the prospect of competing at a home Games providing a powerful pull. The American gymnastics icon recently told the Associated Press that she has not reached a final decision on whether to pursue a fourth Olympics.
“I don’t know what the decision (is) I should make, but I don’t necessarily have to make it just yet,” Biles said. That uncertainty has not stopped the LA28 conversation from following her. If she does return, Biles would be 31 when the Los Angeles Olympic Games open on July 14, 2028. The Games will mark Los Angeles’ third time hosting the Olympics, after 1932 and 1984.
For Biles, the attraction is not difficult to understand. The prospect of competing in front of a home American crowd, at an Olympic Games staged in the United States, has clearly remained in her thoughts. Biles recently returned to the gym with her sister Adria and attempted a double layout, essentially testing whether a skill from her competitive repertoire was still there. The answer was encouraging. “Like a home Olympic Games, like, how could you not?” Biles said. “It’s absolutely incredible.” The moment does not amount to a declaration of intent.
Biles has not announced a competitive comeback and has remained clear that any decision about LA28 will require her to consider more than whether she can still perform elite gymnastics. Her personal circumstances have also changed since her previous Olympic campaigns. Family planning with her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, is now part of the equation, something Biles has not had to consider in the same way during previous Olympic cycles. The AP reported that the gymnast is weighing those personal considerations alongside the physical demands of returning to elite competition.
Paris 2024 remains the last chapter, for now. Biles has not competed since the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she returned to the centre of the Olympic stage after stepping away from several events at Tokyo 2020. In Paris, she won the women’s all-around title, becoming the first woman to win two Olympic all-around gold medals since Vera Caslavska, and added further medals as part of a highly successful campaign. Her Paris performance strengthened an already extraordinary Olympic record and reinforced her status as one of gymnastics’ defining athletes. But Biles’ post-Paris life has moved beyond competition.
The question now is whether the desire to compete again can outweigh the demands of another Olympic cycle. There is also no shortage of familiar faces potentially waiting in the United States camp. Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey have all indicated that LA28 remains part of their plans, creating the possibility of another generation-defining American team alongside Biles. The clock is ticking, but the decision is hers. Unlike previous Olympic cycles, Biles does not need to prove what she can accomplish.
Her potential return would therefore be less about completing an unfinished sporting résumé and more about deciding whether another Olympic experience is something she genuinely wants. The LA28 schedule is already taking shape. The Olympic Games will run from July 14 to July 30, 2028, with the opening ceremony shared between the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the 2028 Stadium in Inglewood.
For now, Biles is watching the countdown from the outside. But the fact that she is back in the gym, testing difficult skills and openly discussing the possibility of competing in Los Angeles ensures that the door remains open. The biggest LA28 question is still unanswered. The most important development is not that Simone Biles has started an Olympic comeback. She has not.
It is that she has not ruled one out. Biles’ comments place LA28 in a different category from a confirmed comeback. Her successful double-layout attempt shows that some of the competitive ability remains, but gymnastics requires much more than executing one skill in training. A return would demand sustained preparation, competition fitness and a decision to commit to another demanding Olympic cycle. That makes Biles’ situation one of the most intriguing stories of the road to LA28.
The clock is running towards July 2028. Her decision, however, does not have to come today. For now, Simone Biles is keeping the door open. And that alone keeps the possibility of seeing her on the Olympic floor in Los Angeles alive.
