Simone Biles leaves door open for Los Angeles in 2028, also wants children

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Simone Biles, who used therapy to make a successful return to the Olympics stage, is leaving the door open for Los Angeles 2028. She also said she can see herself as a mother in the near future.

"I've accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics, but in the sport," Biles told reporters at a news conference Monday in Paris. "So I can't be made about my performances.

"A couple years ago I didn't think I'd be back at an Olympic games."

Biles, 27, made additional comments Tuesday on NBC's Today show. The star gymnast totaled four medals -- three golds and a silver -- at the Paris Olympics.

"It's so crazy," Biles said. "It happened so quick -- my third Olympics."

Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history, with 41 medals across the Olympics and world championships. Her four in Paris pushed her Olympic total to 11, the most ever for an American gymnast.

"I think Team USA did a fantastic job on the gymnastics floor," Biles said. "There's nothing left. We did our job. it's hard, but we did it."

But Biles could tie or break several individual with another run in the Olympics. The next Summer Games will be held from July 14 to 30, 2028, in Los Angeles.

Her seven gold medals are tied for the second-most ever won by a female gymnast. With two more golds, she could tie U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky, among others, for the most ever won by a female Olympian.

With her 2024 individual all-around crown, Biles became the first American to win two of those Olympic titles. No gymnast -- female or male -- has won three Olympic individual all-around titles.

"You never say never," Biles said, when asked about competing in 2028. "The next Olympics is on home turf, so you just never know. I'm just going to relax and see where life takes me."

Biles started the Paris Olympics by aggravating a lower-left leg injury during a qualifying round. She taped up her calf area and went on to help the Americans win the women's all-around team final the two days later at Bercy Arena.

With that eighth Olympic medal, she passed Shannon Miller as the most-decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympics history.

She won her second gold of the Paris Olympics on Thursday in the individual all-around competition. Biles won a third-consecutive gold medal in Saturday's vault final.

Biles did not reach the podium in Monday morning's balance beam competition. She then closed out the Olympics with a silver medal in the floor exercise, her best event.

After that competition, Biles and fellow American Jordan Chiles -- who earned a bronze medal -- bowed to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade on the podium. With her victory, Andrade became the most-decorated Brazilian Olympian in history with six medals.

Biles -- who scored a 14.133 -- stepped out of bounds twice during the floor exercise, to finish just fractions of a point behind Andrade (14.166).

She said over-rotations were the reason for going out of bounds, but refused to blame the injury for her second-place finish.

Biles, who wore a boot on her left foot and calf area while fulfilling post-competition media obligations, said that move was just to be on the safe side.

"Right now, it's just precautionary," Biles said of the boot. "We are resting up as much as possible. We have tour in a couple of weeks, so I'm just going to rest and heal."

Biles is to participate in the Gold Over America Tour, which starts Sept. 17 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Cali. The tour will stop at 30 cites around the United States and end Nov. 3 in Detroit.

The star gymnast, who married Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens in 2023, hinted that she wants to become a mother. Owens attended all of Biles' Olympic competitions in Paris.

"Me and Jonathan always talk about kids," Biles said. "He would have had them yesterday if he could have. Obviously, we both have goals we want to achieve before we start a family."

Biles will be 31 years old when the Los Angeles Olympics begins.