'Never say never': Simone Biles doesn't rule out competing in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
PARIS — Whereas Simone Biles is 27 years old and in her third Summer Olympics, conventional wisdom suggests the beam and floor individual finals here Monday could be — and perhaps will be — her last time competing in the Olympics.
“Never say never,” Biles cautioned Saturday after winning her 10th Olympic medal, and seventh gold, when she was crowned champion in the vault.
“The next Olympics are at home [in Los Angeles], so you never know,” she continued. “But I am getting old.”
Biles is now three-for-three with gold medals in Paris after absolutely dominating the vault competition. She also won gold medals in the all-around and team events.
This was a complete show of force, a coronation rather than a competition.
Her 15.300 average of two vaults was 0.200 higher than anyone else scored on a single vault. It allowed her to cruise to victory over silver medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil (14.966) and bronze medalist Jade Carey (14.466) of the United States.
Biles’ inclusion of a double backflip in pike position — known as the Biles II because she was the first to ever complete it in competition — essentially makes this event over before it begins. The 6.400 degree of difficulty is 0.800 higher than any vault attempted by anyone else.
In the final, she delivered an astounding 9.400 execution score to post, with a light penalty, a 15.700. There is no way anyone, even Andrade, could dream of keeping up.
Biles said that Saturday may be the last time she ever attempts the Biles II because “I definitely nailed that one.” It is so dangerous few even try it in practice. No one other than Biles has tried it at these Olympics. She’s years ahead of the world.
Her biggest challenge isn’t physically doing these skills, but blocking out the maturity that tells a grown-up that launching themselves into the air might be hazardous to their existence.
“At a certain point, as we get older, it gets a bit more scary,” Biles said. “We are more aware of what we are doing and what can happen.”
Biles doesn’t even practice the Biles II until she reaches a competition. It’s why her execution of it has improved across these Games; from podium training, to qualifications, to team, to all-around to this masterpiece on Saturday.
“That's why it is getting a little more control,” she said.
All of it begs the question, why quit?
OH WOW. 🤩
Simone Biles just NAILED this vault in the final! #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC, E! and Peacock pic.twitter.com/fgFeDjZuQg— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
What once seemed obvious now perhaps isn’t. Biles dubbed the Paris Games her “Redemption Tour” after a disastrous 2021 Tokyo Olympics where she had to pull out of numerous competitions while suffering from a lack of air awareness that made twisting impossible.
Dropping out of the team competition after a single vault left her subject to significant backlash in both traditional and social media. She struggled to handle it.
All of that seems so far away now. She seemingly can’t lose.
“The negative comments, they are painful,” she said. “After a certain amount, they hurt. I'm still in therapy working on all of that stuff.
“They are really quiet now,” she said with a laugh. “So that is strange.”
No one could dare say anything now.
Biles’ age is already advanced for this sport — she’s the oldest American female Olympic gymnast since the 1950s.
Yet she doesn’t sound like someone who is ready to leave the sport. There has never been anyone better than she is at this very moment. Not even close. The rest of the field is so far behind in numerous events — she’ll be a heavy favorite to win gold in floor on Monday — that she isn’t the veteran hanging on, but the dominant force driving gymnastics forward.
And she’s having fun.
“I think it's about not many people in the world can do it to this level,” Biles said. “So once we are out here, the floor is our stage. So it feels so freeing. We are doing what we love to do.”
Why not keep going?
Never say never.
