After reminding us all why she’s still the GOAT at the Paris Olympics, reporters and fans alike keep asking the same question: is Simone Biles retiring? We’re getting into everything she’s said about her plans for the future up ahead—including the latest message the gymnast had for everyone wondering “what’s next?”
Related: Meet Simone Biles’ adoptive and biological parents
In case you missed her events, just know that Paris has seen Biles in top form. She snagged gold medals in the team and individual all-around competitions and went on to crush it again in the women’s vault final. After a challenging 2020 Games where she showed immense courage in walking away to prioritize her mental health, it’s clear Biles brought her all to the mat for her comeback at the 2024 games. But that hasn’t stopped folks from wondering if she can—and plans—to do it all again in four years.
Taking to social media after bringing home gold for her vault performance, Biles gently reminded reporters and fans to cool their jets with all the questions about her future in the sport. “You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics,” she wrote on X.
In a follow-up post, Biles urged us all to “let us soak up the moment” when it comes to celebrating athletes’ achievements in Paris. And you know what? She’s got a point. Biles has more than earned the right to bask in her glory!
But is Simone Biles retiring?
Here’s the deal: Biles is definitely keeping her cards close to her chest when it comes to retirement. When the Associated Press tried to get the scoop on her plans for the 2028 Olympics a few months before Paris, Biles didn’t rule it out… but she also didn’t confirm anything.
“I would never say never and I think that would be amazing to (do this) after every Olympic cycle,” Biles said, referring to her post-Olympics Gold Over America Tour. “I think that would be a beautiful thing. But right now I can’t tell you yes or no. Like no definitive answers because I don’t know what life will look like in the next few years to come.”
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Rebeca Andrade, Biles’ friendly rival, may have hinted at the gymnast’s retirement in a July 2024 interview with The Washington Post. According to Andrade, Biles had privately “confided that Paris would be her final competition,” the Post writes. Andrade’s response? “I said, ‘No, girl, don’t do this.’”
Since Andrade’s interview, Biles has continued to keep reporters guessing. After wowing fans at the 2024 Olympic vault event final on August 3, she echoed her earlier comments to the Associated Press. “Never say never,” she said. “The next Olympics are at home, so you just never know. But I am getting really old.” While 27 is decidedly not old in the real world, it is on the older side for a gymnast—so we get where she’s coming from.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Is Simone Biles retiring? The honest answer is… we don’t know, and maybe she doesn’t yet either. What we do know is that this superstar has rewritten the gymnastics rulebook, broken records, and inspired millions. So whatever she decides, one thing’s for sure—Simone Biles has nothing left to prove.