U.S. women’s gymnastics might be at a turning point this week as the best gymnasts from around the country convene at the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans.
Since 2013, superstar Simone Biles, owner of 23 world titles and seven Olympic golds, has dominated the sport, reaching heights never before known and helping Team USA to world titles in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2023 (the U.S. women also won in 2022 without Biles).
She was part of the squads at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 that captured gold medals, giving the U.S. women the title at three of the last four Olympic Games.
Yet, as Biles takes a pause from competition, the clearest sign of change came at the recent U.S. Classic outside Chicago. The Houston native entered quietly: no fanfare, no recognition on the Jumbotron, no medal presentations.
It was a welcome move away from the gymnastics spotlight that has shone so brightly on her for so long.
Biles relished it – at least for now.
“I’m so happy that I was in the stands and not competing because it takes a mental toll on you as well as a physical toll,” Biles told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.
Watching from the stands, she says, didn’t make her miss the thrill of competing – at least not yet.
“It’s only been a year,” said Biles. “I feel like if you ask me next year, maybe, I’d be like, ‘Oh, I miss that.’ But it’s crazy because I don’t get up every day and think like, ‘Oh, I wish I could flip.’ I flipped for 22 years of my life, so being right side up is kind of nice.”