Simone Biles watched Team USA take on the world’s best at the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where the American women’s team competed without a single gymnast with previous Olympic experience for the first time since 2011. Despite this, the Americans fought hard and won team silver behind China. Also, Skye Blakely made history by winning the women’s all-around world title. Yet for Biles, watching from the stands was not easy-peasy. Although she no longer had to worry about hitting her own routines, the competition brought back familiar nerves from her years on the floor.

Speaking after the event finals on October 24, Biles admitted that being a spectator felt different from her years as a competitor. “I’m not gonna lie, it does feel kind of odd, but it is a nice refreshing feeling to not feel the pressure and just like the pressure to hit the routine, so I didn’t mind watching,” she said. For an athlete who spent years carrying the expectations, being able to enjoy the competition without having to worry about her own scores was a welcome change. But the change in perspective did not mean she had stopped feeling the tension that comes with a major gymnastics competition.

“Yes, I get nervous because I’ve been in their shoes before, so I want them to perform well, especially at a world championships,” Biles explained. The seven-time Olympic gold medalist knows better than most what it takes to perform on the world stage.   Her own experiences help explain why.

Biles last competed at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, in October 2023, when she returned to the global stage after the difficult experience she faced at the Tokyo Olympics. In an interview with Vanity Fair ahead of the Paris Olympics, Biles reflected on the emotions she experienced during her return to the World Championships. “I felt like I was back in my element and it was exciting, but I was truly petrified,” she admitted.

Despite all her preparation and experience, she acknowledged that she did not feel as confident or comfortable as she wanted to be. Biles nevertheless left Antwerp with five medals: gold in the women’s team competition, all-around, balance beam and floor exercise, along with silver on vault.  Yet her performances were not entirely free of mistakes. During the all-around final, she stumbled while preparing for a leap in her floor routine. Rather than letting the error derail her performance, she carried on and secured the title. 

Now, watching a new generation of gymnasts compete, Biles can recognise those same feelings in others. As she explained, “I know the hard work and the dedication they put behind it, so I just want them to do their best performances, so I still get nervous.”

Her excitement was not limited to Team USA. “Oh my gosh, Kaylia (Nemour), Rebecca (Andrade), Skye (Blakely), the whole entire scene, the girls were just on fire, so I loved it,” she said. And there was plenty to celebrate.

Blakely’s world all-around title was particularly meaningful after the injury that kept her out of the Paris 2024 Olympics. She ruptured her Achilles tendon during floor exercise training shortly before the US Olympic trials, ending her hopes of making the American team. Her victory in Rotterdam marked her first individual World Championships medal. Rebeca Andrade and Kaylia Nemour also delivered performances that drew attention. Andrade won gold on vault, while Nemour claimed the uneven bars title. But if Biles has not retired from gymnastics, why did she not compete at the 2026 World Championships?

Why did Simone Biles not compete at the 2026 World Championships?

The answer lies in her decision to take a break from elite competition after the Paris 2024 Olympics. Since then, she has not returned to competitive gymnastics, choosing instead to give herself time away from the sport and consider what she wants from the next stage of her life. Although she has yet to announce her retirement, she has also not committed to returning to the competition floor.

But there is a possibility of her competing at the LA 2028 Olympics. A home Games would offer Biles the chance to compete in front of American fans, something she has not experienced during her three previous Olympic appearances in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris. Speaking to NBC Sports in April 2026, she admitted that she was still undecided about whether she would compete in Los Angeles or watch from the stands. “I feel like we’re still at a 50-50,” she said.

By September 2026, the possibility of a comeback was still on her mind. In an interview with the Associated Press, Biles acknowledged that she was beginning to consider which direction she might take. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know what the decision (is) I should make, but I don’t necessarily have to make it just yet,’” she said. “But I feel like it’s kind of in the works which way I’m leaning towards.”

The prospect of sharing another Olympic experience with familiar faces could also make a return more appealing. Biles pointed to the possibility of reuniting with former teammates, including Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, if they also pursue places at LA28. “I know (athletes) are going a lot longer, and I’m just like, what the hell? It’s going to be like a big reunion if I did,” she said. “It would be so much fun. But I still have to weigh the options.”

There are, however, other factors Biles must consider before committing to another Olympic cycle. By the time the Los Angeles Games begin in 2028, she will be 31, and she has spoken openly about wanting to start a family with her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens. In her September interview with the AP, she explained that family planning was among the personal considerations that could affect her decision. “I am getting to the age of 30 where we start to talk about, ‘What does your reproduction cycle … what’s going on in there? What does that look like? How healthy is it?’” she said, describing these questions as major factors in weighing a return.

Another Olympic campaign would require a substantial commitment, from rebuilding her competitive form to managing the physical and mental demands of elite gymnastics once again. It would also mean balancing training with her life outside the sport and the time she wants to spend with Owens. For now, Biles appears content to take that decision one step at a time.