As she continues to breeze through the gymnastics gauntlet at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Simone Biles is proving age does not define athletic ability.
At 27 years old, she is the oldest female Olympian competing for Team USA on the mat. Thus far, she has won three gold medals, bringing her total to 10 Olympic medals, seven of which are gold. On Saturday (Aug. 3), she secured the top spot on the podium after beating out Brazil in the women’s vault artistic. She also earned the coveted hardware for floor routines in the women’s individual and team all-around competition last week. And on Monday (Aug. 5), she’ll square up in a double-header during the final rounds of the balance beam and floor exercises.
With so many eyes on her, people can’t help but wonder what the future holds for the prolific athlete. Biles, however, wants to relish in the present moment. On Sunday (Aug. 4), she sent a clear message to those wondering what’s in store for her life and career after the Paris Games. “You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics. Let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for,” she tweeted.
When another user mockingly asked, “What is your next step after winning [the] gold medal?” Biles responded, “Babysitting the medal.”
The Paris Olympics have been a redemption tour for the decorated gymnast. To her and fans’ dismay, she was forced to withdraw from several events, including her specialty, vault, after experiencing twisties during the 2020 Tokyo Games. The dangerously disorienting affliction causes gymnasts to lose their sense of spatial recognition, causing them to become lost in the air.
“Is this my last? Definitely the Yurchenko double pike. I mean, I kind of nailed that one,” Biles told reporters on Saturday (Aug. 3) after defending her title. While retirement speculation has run rampant, Biles has yet to shut down the prospect of her appearance at the 2028 Games. “Never say never. The next Olympics is at home. So you just never know,” she said about making a fourth return to the Summer Games when they are held in Los Angeles. At that time, she will be 31 years old.
"Not many people in the world can do it to this level. Once we're out here, the floor is our stage, so it just feels so freeing for us because we're in our element, we're having fun, we're doing what we love to do," she said. "But at a certain point, as we get older, it does get a little bit more scary. We're more aware of what we're doing, what can happen. So our consciousness is there. But it's always fun," she acknowledged as one of the “golden girls,” a nickname Team USA's women gymnasts gave themselves for being the "oldest" team.
For now, and always, her supporters are cheering her on as the history-making GOAT that she is.