Why Simone Biles is leaving the door open to compete at 2028 Olympics: ‘Never say never’

Simone Biles lives rent-free in the heads of her critics. And she’s considering re-upping her lease.

Breaking news: Why Simone Biles is leaving the door open to compete at 2028 Olympics: ‘Never say never’See more..Minut

Minutes after winning gold on vault – that’s her third gold of the Paris Olympics, for those counting, and seventh career gold – Biles left the door open to competing at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. Or, rather, she didn’t close it.

“Never say never. The next Olympics is at home, so you just never know,” she said Saturday night, before starting to laugh. “But I am getting really old.”

As Biles said after winning her ninth U.S. title in June, however, she’s aging like fine wine.

Three years ago, after her nightmare experience in Tokyo, Biles wasn’t sure she’d ever compete again, let alone make it back to an Olympics. A case of the “twisties” had caused her to lose her sense of where she was in the air, putting her physical safety at risk, and she didn’t know if she could trust her gymnastics. For someone who “loves to flip,” it was crushing.

The keyboard warriors and right-wing critics didn’t help, calling her weak and a quitter and an embarrassment to her country. That included now-vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, who said then it was one of Biles’ “weakest moments.” Which is pretty rich coming from a guy who was quick to trade his integrity for political gain.

The vicious criticism from Vance and his ilk wasn’t true, of course. But see and hear it enough, and it’s going to leave a mark.

Every chance she gets, however, Biles proves she’s not only a better person than all those trolls, she’s stronger, too.

She continues to do the work to address the mental health issues that sent her sideways in Tokyo and, as a result, is more dominant at 27 than she was at 17.

Which is saying something in a sport that used to chew women up and spit them out before their 21st birthday.

Biles won the vault gold behind the strength of her signature Yurchenko double pike, a skill so difficult few men even try it. Though she took a hop back on her landing, it was smaller than it’s been other times she’s done it recently.

She followed with what is quite possibly the best Cheng she’s ever done, flying so far in the air she ought to get miles and needing just a small hop to secure the landing.