After winning three medals at the Paris Olympics, hopes are high that Simone Biles could return for LA28 and chase more gold in front of a home crowd. Yet, after two years away from competition, the gymnastics icon remains unsure about making another Olympic comeback. She previously called her chances “50-50,” but now a more personal reason is adding to the uncertainty, as Biles has opened up about her wish to start a family with Jonathan Owens.

The idea of another Olympics is still tempting for the 29-year-old Olympic star. Still, with Biles set to turn 30 before the Games and 31 during the 2028 Olympics, the timing of another Olympic cycle has become something she has to think carefully about. “I am getting to the age of 30 where we start to talk about, ‘What does your reproduction cycle … what’s going on in there?’” Biles told the Associated Press.

She continued by questioning what that might look like and “how healthy is it,” before explaining why the decision has become more personal for her. “And so I think these are major things that are on the table at my age that I have to take in consideration and weigh those options and what that looks like and when we want to start a family,” Biles said.

For Biles, the decision is not simply about whether she can get back into the gym. Another Olympic run would mean committing to another demanding training cycle, while also considering when she and Owens want to have children. And this is not a new dream for the couple.

Biles has spoken about becoming a mother several times over the years. In 2024, she revealed that Owens was already eager to have children, joking that “he would have had them yesterday if he could have.” The gymnast has since given fans an idea of what that future could look like.

In 2025, Biles told E! News, “We are obviously gonna put them in sports in the beginning so they get their bearings and learn,” although she and Owens would ultimately want their children to choose their own interests.

By May 2026, Biles was even more direct about what she wanted beyond gymnastics. During an interview with El País, she was asked what dream she still wanted to fulfill, and her answer was not another Olympic medal. “To have children and build a big family with my husband,” Biles said. That dream now comes at a time when LA28 is also becoming harder for Biles to ignore.

Biles is not rushing the decision

For Simone Biles, another Olympic appearance would not be about proving herself. She has already built one of the most decorated careers in gymnastics history, with 11 Olympic medals, including seven golds, across Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. If she makes the U.S. team for Los Angeles, LA28 would give her a chance to add another chapter to a career that already stands among the greatest in the sport. But Biles is not rushing to decide whether she wants that chapter.

“I don’t know what the decision (is) I should make, but I don’t necessarily have to make it just yet,” Biles told the Associated Press. “But I feel like it’s kind of in the works which way I’m leaning towards.”

If she qualifies for LA28, Biles would make history as the first American female gymnast to compete at four Olympic Games. Yet getting there would be a major undertaking. She has been away from competitive gymnastics for nearly two years, and returning to the level required for an Olympic Games would mean putting her body through another demanding training cycle.

Biles already felt that difference during Paris 2024. After the Games, she told L’Équipe that she noticed how much harder recovery had become. After finishing her Olympic competition, she returned to the Olympic Village, took the elevator, and felt as though her body had “literally collapsed.” She said she was sick for around 10 days afterward. She also recalled sprinting in a garden with friends and dealing with aches and pains for three days afterward.

That does not mean her gymnastics ability has disappeared. If anything, a recent moment in the gym reminded her that the skills are still there. Biles recently trained with her sister, Adria, and attempted a double layout. She successfully completed the skill, surprising herself in the process. The moment may have made the LA28 decision even harder.