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Biles undecided about 2028 Olympics amid L.A. lure

ESPN General •
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Simone Biles understands the constant speculation about whether she has one more run at Olympic gold in her. Mostly because the American gymnastics icon is still kind of wondering about it herself. So much so that there will be times when the question wakes the 29-year-old two-time Olympic all-around champion up in the middle of the night.

"I'm like 'Oh my gosh, I don't know what the decision [is] I should make, but I don't necessarily have to make it just yet," Biles told The Associated Press. "But I feel like it's kind of in the works which way I'm leaning towards." After trips to Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris, the lure of the opportunity to perform on the world stage at home in Los Angeles in the summer of 2028 is real. Olympic teammates Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are already pointing toward L.A. So is Katelyn Ohashi, a former college star at UCLA who returned to elite competition in July following a staggering 13-year break from the sport's top level.

"I know [athletes] are going a lot longer, and I'm just like, what the hell? It's going to be like a big reunion if I did," Biles said. "It would be so much fun. But I still have to weigh the options." And the risks. Biles will be 31 by the time the flame is lit at the opening ceremony in the LA Coliseum and Sofi Stadium in July 2028. The sacrifices of trying to make a fourth Olympic team would be far different from what she faced in Brazil a decade ago. Biles and her husband, Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens, would like to have a family at some point. The potential impact of training on her reproductive health is a factor. So is the likelihood that returning to competition would mean she and Owens could be separated for significant stretches.

"I am getting to the age of 30 where we start to talk about, 'What does your reproduction cycle ... what's going on in there? What does that look like? How healthy is it? And so I think these are major things that are on the table at my age that I have to take in consideration and weigh those options and what that looks like and when we want to start a family." Still, the FOMO (fear of missing out) when it comes to LA is only too real. "Like a home Olympic Games, like, how could you not?" she said. "It's absolutely incredible."