Simone Biles has been named Sports Illustrated‘s 2024 Sportsperson of the Year and hinted at why the most decorated gymnast in history might skip the 2028 Olympics.
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At 27, Simone Biles continues to reign as a legend in gymnastics and beyond, recently becoming the first Olympic athlete to snag Sports Illustrated’s prestigious Sportsperson of the Year title in over a decade. (The last? None other than basketball royalty, LeBron James, back in 2012.)
Fresh off a triumphant return to the sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics—where she bagged four medals, including three golds—Biles isn’t afraid to reflect on what’s next. After conquering her infamous bout with the “twisties” at the 2021 Tokyo Games, the gymnastics GOAT has hinted that her competitive days may be nearing their end, particularly with the Los Angeles Olympics looming in 2028.
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“Because I’ve accomplished so much, there’s almost nothing left to do,” she confessed in a candid interview with Sports Illustrated. “Rather than to just be snobby and try again—for what? I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when to be done.”
Biles, who tied the knot with Chicago Bears player Jonathan Owens in 2023, is also eyeing new horizons.
“If you go back, you’ll be greedy,” she admitted. “Those are the consequences. But that’s also your decision. What sacrifices would be made if I go back now? When you’re younger, it’s prom, college. Now it’s like, starting a family, being away from my husband. What’s really worth it?”
“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 her words suggest she’s stepping off the Olympic stage for good, one thing remains crystal clear: Simone Biles doesn’t let fear hold her back. Whether she’s flipping through the air or planning her next chapter, the champion’s legacy is sealed—on her own terms.
“It’s crazy,” she said. “I have the privilege and I have the mental strength to accomplish my wildest dreams.”
As the world looks forward to what’s next, one thing is certain: Simone Biles knows how to stick the landing in life just as flawlessly as she does in the gym.
