Simone Biles’ absence from the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans is raising eyebrows. The 28-year-old legend, widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, hasn’t officially announced her retirement, but signs are mounting. Instead of competing, she’s watching from the stands—fueling speculation that her historic competitive run may be over. Her recent interview makes things clearer.

In a video posted by the Olympics on their official X handle today, Biles said some words that might reflect her future. She said, “As athletes, you always want to end up on top, and it be your choice when you end. And Paris was such a special moment. Of course, you have some that want to go back and repeat that success because you get really hungry for it, and you know what that feels like, and you know what you’re capable of.” After her setback in Tokyo, Biles had decided to come back in Paris, and what a comeback it was!

She soared to three golds and one silver, proving to the world and herself that she was back stronger than ever. The GOAT of the sport further said, “I’ve done so much and I’ve had so much success in the sport. It’s like, I want it to be my choice when I’m done. I don’t want the doctors to be like, hey, you can’t move on. And I think for a lot of elite athletes, it’s never their choice when they get to be done. And I’m grateful if this was the end that I got to choose my ending.” Olympic medals—7 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes, the most ever by a U.S. gymnast. There is no debating what she has done in the sport. But does this mean she is retired now?

Now Simone Biles went on a break from gymnastics after the 2024 Paris Olympics, revealing later in September that she is tired. “I feel like my body is slowing starting to shut down, like, it’s ready to be done,” she said. So if we connect these two points, the message seems to be pointing in some direction. But so is not the case. Is she completely done with gymnastics in all capacities? That is one question she put forward in a podcast with the Olympics, and she answered as well.

She said, “No, absolutely not. Even going to visit Joss at Classics and WCC was like, oh, I’m still in the gymnastics space, hosting camps at WCC, hosting my annual Biles Invitational every year. ” She said she’s always going to be in the gymnastics space because the sport shaped who she is today. However, she also expressed interest in exploring other avenues where she believes she can be successful. So what about LA 2028?

Simone Biles in LA – What do we know?

Will Simone Biles be there in LA? That’s the question of the hour. To start with, Biles first said, “Never say never. The next Olympics are at home, so you just never know. But I am getting really old,” after her Paris Olympics. This was the first hint that she might be or might not be there when the Olympic Torch comes to the City of Angels. “Is it my last time? Definitely the Yurchenko double pike. I mean, I kind of nailed that one,” she said in response to being asked whether her competitive vaulting career was over. So a part of her is done for sure.

In January 2025, after being named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, she admitted that returning for 2028 could feel greedy. “Because I’ve accomplished so much, 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 7-time Olympic gold medalist said. There is not much left for the world’s most decorated gymnast to get her hands on in the sport. “If you go back, you’ll be greedy,” she told the outlet and also talked of coming with elite training, including starting a family and time away from her husband. But there is still a glimmer of hope.

Her most recent comments in April 2025 reflected continued uncertainty. She told French sports daily L’Equipe in April, “You’re going to tell me that the perspective of the Games in Los Angeles is fascinating. And I will be there, whether on the apparatus or in the stands, I still haven’t decided.2028 seems so far away. And my body ages. I felt it in Paris. At the end of the competition, I went back to the village, I took the elevator, and my body collapsed – I got sick for 10 days…So, to be honest, I don’t know. We’ll see.” What do you think, would we see her last dance in LA or was Paris the goodbye?