This G.O.A.T. may have stuck her landing for the last time.
Simone Biles, who won four medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics when she returned to the sport after experiencing vertigo at the 2021 Tokyo Games, recently shared why she likely won’t return to the Olympics when they come to Los Angeles in 2028.
“Because I’ve accomplished so much,” she told Sports Illustrated in an interview published Jan. 2, “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.”
The 27-year-old—who tied the knot with Chicago Bears football player Jonathan Owens in 2023—also noted that it may be time to shift her focus to other areas of her life.
“If you go back, you’ll be greedy,” she continued. “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?”
While she’s contemplating what the future holds, Simone—who, with 11 Olympic medals and 30 world championship medals, is the most decorated gymnast of all time—has yet to realize the full impact she’s made.
“I don’t think the reality has set in of what I’ve exactly done in the sport,” she shared. “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.”
She added, “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.”
Though it doesn’t seem likely that Simone will return to the Olympics, one thing is certain: She won’t be letting fear dictate her decisions.
“It’s crazy,” she said. “I have the privilege and I have the mental strength to accomplish my wildest dreams.”
Keep reading for a look back at all the times Simone proved she was the G.O.A.T.