ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Whether the U.S. women's gymnastics team is a gold-medal contender at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles or just-give-it-to-them-now great depends on one person.
Simone Biles.
The G.O.A.T. has said repeatedly that she's still deciding whether she'll come back for LA28. Though she was at these world championships as a spectator — she gave out the floor exercise medals on Sunday, Oct. 25 — she didn't give any hint about her future.
"It actually makes me so nervous, especially with the build-up music. I felt like I was was getting ready to compete. I was like, ‘Why am I so nervous right now?'" Biles said in an interview with the public address announcer before Day 1 of the event finals began Saturday, Oct. 24.
"But it's
nice to be in the atmosphere again."
Will Simone Biles compete at LA28?
Biles hasn't put any timetable on her decision, though she competed at the last world championships before both the Paris and Tokyo Olympics. She didn't even announce her return before Paris, only confirming she was going for those Olympics when her name appeared on the list of competitors for the U.S. Classic in August 2023.
How old would Simone Biles be at LA28?
Biles would be 31 in Los Angeles, but she long ago disproved the idea that gymnastics is a sport for girls and young women. She won four medals in Paris, leading the U.S. women to gold and winning her second Olympic all-around title. She also won gold on vault and a silver on floor exercise.
Biles has 11 medals in three Olympic appearances, seven of them gold. She also has 30 medals from the world championships, 23 of them gold.
Can Team USA win without Simone Biles?
Even without Biles, the U.S. women will be a favorite for gold at the first home Summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996. Though they finished second to China here, snapping their 15-year winning streak at the world championships, the Americans left with seven medals, including Skye Blakely's all-around gold.
Add Tokyo all-around champion Suni Lee, who has resumed training and plans to return to competition next year, and the Americans are formidable.
"I’m excited," said Chellsie Memmel, the technical lead for the U.S. women's program. "Everybody that we have — from what we have here, who says they’re coming back at home — it’s just going to make us stronger. I think they’re just going to fight harder to make that team and it elevates everyone’s performance."
If Biles comes back, the Americans will be unbeatable.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Simone Biles competing in LA28? What we know about her decision
