Heavy DWTS alum Simone Biles confirmed she's aiming for the next Olympics.
For former “Dancing with the Stars” semi-finalist Simone Biles, announcing she was starting to compete in gymnastics again was a big step. After withdrawing from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles avoided making any significant statements regarding her future in the sport for quite some time. In July, she announced she would start competing again, and she quickly proved she is still in fantastic shape and at the top of her game.
Not even two months later, Biles won the title of 2023 U.S. National all-around champion. It was not her first time earning that title, but rather, the eighth time. By earning that most recent title, Biles also made history with the most U.S. championship titles.
Biles’ return to gymnastics almost immediately prompted questions regarding whether or not she was aiming to go to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Until now, she always explained she was keeping the answer to that big question to herself, but she’s changed her tune on that front.
Here’s what you need to know:
Simone Biles Is Back & Winning Titles
On August 27, Biles told NBC Sports she had a number of personal goals she was working toward, but she was keeping them private. She admitted that was not the type of approach she used to take, but this time, it was working well for her. That meant that when asked specifically about hopes to return to the Olympics, she declined to answer.
Her position on sharing details on her goals shifted and her answer may not necessarily surprise many fans. On September 7, the former “Dancing with the Stars” semi-finalist chatted with Hoda Kotb on “Today,” and did answer the frequently-asked question about the Olympics.
Kotb teasingly asked, “If I had $5 in my hand, and I was going to Vegas, and I’m, like, I’m going to bet on whether Simone will go to the Olympics or not, where would I put my 5 bucks? The ‘yay’ or the ‘nay’?”
Biles Hopes to Return to the Olympics
Biles laughed at Kotb’s creativity in trying to get the Olympian to commit to whether or not she has her sights set on the 2024 Olympics in Paris. She responded, “Right now, I would say that’s the path that I would love to go, so I wouldn’t mind if you would put it in the ‘yay’ section.”
Kotb and her colleagues cheered when hearing Biles’ answer, even if it did not necessarily come as a massive surprise. The former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant has worked hard to prepare herself for competing again and avoiding the issues that led to her previous Olympics withdrawal.
“I think I have to take care of myself a little bit more and listen to my body and making sure that I’m making time for the important things in my life,” Biles explained. She added, “Rather than before, it was just ‘go, go, go,’ and then making time after.”
The Olympian detailed that she’s approaching everything with intention, and therapy is a core component of her process. She’s doing everything “so that I can do the best in the gym and be a good wife, good daughter, good friend and all of the good things.” Biles is not only training to be in top shape physically, but mentally too.