Simone Biles May Skip Competing At 2028 Olympics To Enjoy Life With Her Husband And Travel

The most decorated gymnast, Simone Biles, is shifting her priorities. The 28-year-old recently said she may not compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics because she wants to focus on aspects of her life beyond work.

“I’m really trying to enjoy life, to spend time with my husband, go support him at his games, live my life as a woman,” she said during an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe. “I’ve accomplished so much in my sport. For me to come back, it would really have to excite me.”

Simone is currently married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, and they have been married since April 2023. The busy athlete couple only recently had their honeymoon in South Africa after two years of marriage. It makes sense that Biles is ready to slow down as the couple has been building a home in Texas for some years, and also discussed starting a family in recent years. Back in 2022, Simone said she wanted two kids, while Owens was opting for a football team of little ones.

During the interview, the star athlete also explained how much time is spent preparing for the Olympics and expressed uncertainty about whether she wants to commit to it again.

“A lot of people think it’s just a one-year commitment but it truly is the four years leading up to the Olympics,” she said. “It’s in LA it’s back in the States, which is so exciting. But if I’m going to compete again, I’m not so sure.”

The gymnast swept the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning four medals in total–three gold and one silver. Biles made history by breaking Shannon Miller’s record for most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. The 28-year-old is also the most decorated gymnast of all time. 

That said, the gymnast does plan to attend the games but hasn’t decided in what capacity. 

“Whether on the [gymnastics] apparatus or in the stands, I still don’t know that,” she told L’Equipe. “But 2028 seems so far away, and my body is aging. I felt it in Paris.”

Biles expanded on how taxing the sport can be and its impact on her body.

“I went back to the [Olympic] village, I took the elevator, and my body literally collapsed. I was sick for 10 days,” she said. “The other day, we were sprinting in the garden with friends, I had aches and pains for three days. So, I honestly don’t know. We’ll see.”