Simone Biles put the cherry on top of her stunning comeback with three Olympic golds in Paris. However, the now seven-time Olympic gold medalist has constantly faced questions about the 2028 LA Olympics since returning to the States. “Everybody wants to know this question. Can I just live?” responded the 27-year-old when even Jimmy Fallon didn’t spare Biles.
However, when Fallon insisted that “it would be just so fun to root for you” on home ground, Biles offered a hilarious solution. “Maybe if, like, we could do, like, tags… Tag beam, vault, floor, bars,” then it would be easy for her, Biles said on the Tonight Show. The suggestion amused Fallon, who clarified she suggested tagging “halfway through?” each routine, and the Olympian agreed.
However, the talk show host couldn’t wrap his head around Simone Biles hesitating to give a definitive answer about the next Olympics. After all, the 27-year-old returned to the sport last year and since then has captured golds in Olympics, National, and World Championships. While Fallon was right to think Biles would continue to ride the wave of success, there’s a catch.
Gymnastics has always been a youngster’s sport. In fact, at 27, Biles became the oldest American gymnast to compete in the Summer Games since 1952. That’s why her triple gold medalist-winning effort in Paris is even more impressive. The Paris Olympics also provided the perfect contrast, as the youngest Team USA member, Hezly Rivera, is only 16.
Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu who was reinstated as the floor exercise bronze medalist over Jordan Chiles by the CAS, is 18. Paris 2024 uneven bars gold medalist Kaylia Nemour is 17. So when Fallon asked if she was even considering competing at the upcoming LA Olympian in four years, Simone Biles brought up her age.
“First, I’m getting older. 27 is a little bit old for a gymnast,” revealed the world champion. However, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon host couldn’t fathom that the 27-year-old thought she was old. “What? You’re a baby!” said the 49-year-old television personality. Yet the GOAT agreed that it only applied to gymnastics, and even then she’s not ready to give up.
Will Simone Biles defy age once again?
Although the seven-time gold medalist may be comparatively older than her opponents, she has adapted wonderfully. Instead of chasing prolonged and grueling training sessions that would wreck her recovery, Simone Biles trains and eats smart. Thanks to the advancements in sports science, the eleven-time Olympic medalist is still training and beating girls half her age.
via Reuters
Simone Biles is acutely aware of this fact. “In gymnastics, I’m aging like fine wine,” the most decorated gymnast in history told Fallon. The 27-year-old is also aware that competing and winning beyond 30 at the highest stage is possible. In fact, fellow Team USA and Olympic legend Michael Phelps proved it in 2016. When Phelps came back at 31, many thought he was past his prime.
However, the most decorated Olympian in history silenced the doubters, winning five golds and silver in his final Olympics. So while fans may be eager to know about Simone Biles’ future moves, she will be patient with her approach. Three years is a lot of time, and a lot can change in that time, so the gymnastics GOAT isn’t too eager to make promises.