Jack Gruber-Imagn Images

Olympics Icon Simone Biles Addresses Imminent Career Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 7:32 PM ET

Simone Biles is in Italy to support Team USA for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The decorated gymnast has attended multiple events with her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens. They have both been cheering on American athletes who take center stage in some of the biggest moments of their careers.

Biles made a guest appearance on the “TODAY” show on Tuesday. The episode was shot remotely from Milan, and Biles got to meet figure skating champion Ilia Malinin. The 21-year-old struggled in his performance at the men’s figure skating final. Malinin was expected to win gold, but he fell twice during his routine, resulting in an unexpected eighth-place finish.

Simone Biles on the red carpet before the ESPYS at The Dolby Theatre. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In addition to showing her support for Malinin and the rest of Team USA, Biles was also asked about her own plans for the Olympics. The 28-year-old was a dominant force in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won three gold and a silver medal. Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, increased her Olympic medal tally to 11.

Paris was Biles’ third Summer Games stint after also competing in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2020. Biles was asked on the “TODAY” show if she plans to return for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Columbus, Ohio native remained non-committal.

“I'm still on the health and wellness journey,” she said. “I mean [gymnastics coach Laurent Landi] asked me all the time, and if I have to say anything, I'm just like, give me a little bit more time to recover mentally, physically.

“But he's always like, ‘Okay, well, you just give me two years.’ And so I feel like we're coming up on that mark. We got a little bit more of things to do, and then we'll see.”

The Summer Games in L.A. will start in July 2028. Given that her coach wants two full years of training, Biles will need to decide in roughly five months.

Biles has already reached unprecedented heights in her gymnastics career. In fact, even if she retires now, she will still be considered the greatest of all time.

Nevertheless, Biles has never competed in the Olympics on home soil. This might be an opportunity too good to pass up for her.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: