Simone Biles was named Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Sportsperson of the Year and hinted at why the most decorated gymnast in history may not compete in the 2028 Olympics.
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Simone Biles, 27, continues to reign as a legend in gymnastics and beyond, recently becoming the first Olympian in over a decade to earn Sports Illustrated’s prestigious Sportsman of the Year title. (The last? It’s none other than 2012 basketball royalty LeBron James.)
Biles, who made a successful return to sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning four medals, including three gold, is not afraid to think about her next steps. After winning the infamous match “Twisty” at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the gymnastics GOAT hinted that her competitive days may be nearing an end, especially as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approach.
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“I have accomplished so much that I have very little to do,” she confessed in an interview. sports illustration. “Rather than just shamelessly try again, for what? I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when it’s time to call it a day.”
Biles, who married Chicago Bears player Jonathan Owens in 2023, is also seeking new horizons.
“I’m going to be greedy when I get back,” she admitted. “That is the result. But it’s also your decision. What sacrifices would it make to go back now? When you’re younger, it’s prom, college. Now it’s like starting a family and being away from my husband. “What is really worth doing?”
“I don’t think it’s real what exactly I’ve done in this sport,” she said. “I can see it, I hear it from people, I get glimpses of it, but I don’t think we realize the full scale of it yet.” “I probably won’t realize it until I retire and look back years later and say, ‘Damn, she was good,’” she said. I can see it, but I do it every day. So to me, that’s normal.”
Her words suggest she may be stepping away from the Olympic stage for good, but one thing is clear: Simone Biles doesn’t let fear hold her back. Whether she’s splitting the air or plotting her next chapter, a champion’s legacy is sealed in her own way.
“This is crazy.” she said “I am privileged and have the mental strength to achieve my wildest dreams.”
As the world looks forward to what’s next, one thing is certain: The thing about Simone Biles is that she knows how to land perfectly just like she did in the gym.
