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Final: Artistic gymnastics – Paris 2024 – Floor August 05 2024: Simone Biles United States of America competes during floor final on Day 10 of the Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS at Bercy Arena, Paris, France. Ulrik Pedersen/CSM. Credit Image: Â Ulrik Pedersen/Cal Media Paris France EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20240805_zma_c04_165.jpg UlrikxPedersenx csmphotothree277619
Imago
Final: Artistic gymnastics – Paris 2024 – Floor August 05 2024: Simone Biles United States of America competes during floor final on Day 10 of the Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS at Bercy Arena, Paris, France. Ulrik Pedersen/CSM. Credit Image: Â Ulrik Pedersen/Cal Media Paris France EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20240805_zma_c04_165.jpg UlrikxPedersenx csmphotothree277619
Simone Biles is no stranger to breaks. When everyone thought her gymnastic career was over after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she took a two-year break and returned strongly at the Paris Olympics with three gold medals. The star is now close to touching a two-year break, and she herself termed her chances as “50-50” for the next LA Olympics. But a coaching move that worked out so well at the 2024 Olympics and a social media repost are now giving fans all the right answers they’re hoping to find.
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That gold medal-winning return at Paris was possible because of the coaches she has worked with since 2017. “With the help of Cecile and Laurent, I got back in the gym,” she said. Soon after winning three gold medals in Paris, both coaches, Cecile Canqueteau-Landi and Laurent Landi, left World Champions Centre and moved to different jobs.
But now, the big news is that Laurent has joined Georgia as associate head coach in 2026-27, reuniting with Cécile, who has already been the head coach since August 2024. The moment Laurent’s appointment was shared by Georgia gymnastics on social media, Biles instantly reposted it. But was it just support, or is there a deeper hint behind it?
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Biles said Laurent often asks her about a comeback and tells her, “Give me a little bit more time to recover mentally, physically. But he’s always like, ‘Okay, well, you just give me two years.’
So is this all just timing, or something more? If you connect the dots between Laurent’s “two-year” comment and the move of both of her former coaches to Athens, it has naturally led to theories that Athens, Georgia, could become a training base where Biles might return for LA 2028.
For reference, after the Tokyo Olympics exit, Simone Biles returned to training around September 2022 for the Paris Olympics, just under two years before the Games. Now, with LA 2028 again two years away, that same timeline is appearing once more. If she followed a similar path, she could return to serious training in late 2026 and potentially compete again in 2027.
Simone reposted 🔁👀
Biles has said Laurent told her to give him two years if she wants to make a comeback for the LA Games.
Just recently she said she was still “50-50.”
Could the GOAT return and train in Athens in the lead-up to 2028? Would Jordan Chiles potentially join… pic.twitter.com/EAHxbW0FbJ
— Gymnastics Now (@Gymnastics_Now) May 12, 2026
Even before this, just last month, Simone Biles described her situation as “50-50” and said, “We’re going to have to make these decisions pretty quickly,” showing that the next step is still uncertain. The timing does raise questions: coincidence or strategy?
Are two years enough for Simone Biles to return for LA 2028?
It has been almost two years since Simone Biles last competed in gymnastics. Her final appearance came at the Paris Olympics, and she closed out her season with the Gold Over America Tour. Since then, her life has diverged from typical elite training.
She has even admitted, “I haven’t even watched gymnastics,” and has not been training in a structured way. Instead, her focus has shifted outside the gym, from supporting her husband Jonathan Owens in his NFL career, to traveling during major sporting events like the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, to personal milestones such as opening her restaurant, Taste of Gold, in Houston. She has also spent time away from gymnastics environments, following other sports rather than daily training.
That is why a potential comeback feels unusual. In elite gymnastics, returning to the highest level usually demands years of repetitive training. The question now is whether a two-year window is enough to rebuild that intensity for LA 2028.
Age is a factor. Now 29 years old, Biles will be 32 at the Los Angeles Olympics. In women’s artistic gymnastics, that is far beyond the usual peak. She even felt the physical effects of gymnastics, even in Paris, where she remained the most influential. She said her body felt “slowing,” and she openly spoke about the strain of competition. She also admitted, “I am getting old, and I have more to lose.”
Earlier, Simone Biles told L’Équipe that she would be in Los Angeles in 2028 “whether on the apparatus or in the stands,” but also made it clear she was unsure about continuing, saying her body already felt the impact in Paris, “my body is aging. I felt it in Paris.” This is where the uncertainty sits. A return would mean rebuilding elite form after a long break, at an age when most gymnasts have already retired.
At the same time, the competitive field is also shifting. Jordan Chiles has not confirmed her LA 2028 plans. Suni Lee’s future remains unclear due to health concerns. Jade Carey has shown interest in continuing toward the next cycle, while a younger generation is already rising quickly. So the picture is not simple. Experience, uncertainty, and new talent are all colliding at once.
