With Simone Biles set to make professional return, what is next for her?
Simone Biles is finally making a return to the sport she loves. The famed gymnast is all set for a comeback at the US Classic event scheduled for August this year.
The seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles will return to the floor after a hiatus of nearly two years. Biles' last competitive performance came at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and she has since stayed away from the sport owing to multiple reasons. Simone withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics citing mental health issues, and has since become a major advocate for the same among other athletes.
Since her withdrawal, speculations of Simone Biles potentially retiring from the sport kept surfacing now and then. But those speculations have finally been put to rest as the return of the Gymnastics GOAT is imminent. USA Gymnastics recently announced that Simone will make a return at the US Classic event being organized on August 4 and 5 at Now Arena in Chicago. This event will be the final qualifying round to make the US contingent that will go to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Should Biles qualify, not only will she head to her third Olympic Games, but she will also become the oldest American woman to make the team since Annie Hatch in 2004. For now, all hopes for Biles reside on this event, as there shall be no further qualifying under normal circumstances.
Simone Biles' recent personal life has been a fairytale
Having stayed away from gymnastics for so long, Biles has suffered a major loss in the professional realm. But the same cannot be said about her personal life.
The Presidential Medal awardee married long-time boyfriend and NFL star Jonathan Owens on the April 22, 2023. After over a year of teasing her fans on social media about the wedding preparations, Biles said 'I do' to Owens in a private ceremony. And the couple has enjoyed being married to each other ever since, as they keep posting regular updates about their life on social media.
Simone also had the blessing of becoming an aunt during this time, as her brother, Ron, welcomed a baby daughter into this world. Since the arrival of her niece, Ronni, Biles has posted a series of adorable images of the two of them.
With her personal life going well, Simone Biles will be looking to get her athletic life rolling again, as she will aim to claim a spot in the US Gymnastics team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.