Olympic Gymnast Suni Lee shares why she is making a comeback
Olympic Gymnast Suni Lee describes how she knew she was going to make a comeback and why she decided to create a documentary at the ESPYs 2026 carpet.
PHOENIX — Simone Biles picked up another medal this week.
No, the greatest gymnast the sport has ever seen isn’t competing at the U.S. gymnastics championships. She was visiting Peru as part of the year-out celebration for the Pan American Games in Lima on Thursday, Aug. 6. As part of her trip, Biles fed alpacas, toured Cusco and the Sacred Valley and met with Panam Sports president Neven Ilic, who gifted her with a massive medal to recognize her role as the global ambassador of the Games, which will be July 23-Aug. 8 2027.
The U.S. championships are Aug. 6-9, with the women competing Friday, Aug. 7, and Sunday, Aug. 9.
There are still almost two years until the Los Angeles Olympics. Here’s what we know about the plans of Biles and the rest of the five-woman team that won gold at the Paris Games:
Will Simone Biles compete in the 2028 LA Olympics?
TBD.
Biles hasn’t competed since Paris, where she won her second all-around title and also led the U.S. women to team gold. But she hasn’t ruled LA28 out, telling Spain’s El País in May that she was “still at about 50%” on whether to return for a fourth Olympics.
“I think a home Olympic Games is motivation enough, but at the same time I feel our bodies are a bit like an hourglass that’s slowly running out,” Biles told El País. “Right now I’m 29, and although longevity in the elite has advanced by leaps and bounds, it would be a huge sacrifice to try to be at Los Angeles (at 31). We’ll have to see.”
Hezly Rivera
The youngest member of the U.S. team at the 2024 Olympics — she turned 16 the month before the Games — is the only one who didn’t take a break after Paris. She will be favored to defend the all-around title she won at last year’s nationals.
“I’ve grown tremendously, actually. I was just looking back two weeks ago and I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve come so far, especially since the Olympics.’ So I’ve just been really enjoying all these moments,” Rivera said.
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Rivera missed last year’s world championships with an ankle injury and was limited at the Pan American Championships in May with a sore hamstring. But she’s healthy now, and already has her sights on Los Angeles.
“I’m just really excited for this next quad and I’m really excited for this home Olympics in LA. And it’s going to be super hyped,” Rivera said, “so I’m really excited.”
Suni Lee
The Tokyo all-around champion announced her comeback last month. She has moved back to Minnesota and is training with longtime coaches Jess Graba and Alison Lim.
“I know what I’m capable of and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Back in the gym,” Lee said in a video released by USA Gymnastics.
Expect to see Lee back competing next season.
Jade Carey
After taking last year off, the two-time Olympic gold medalist returned to elite gymnastics this season. She was second at the U.S. Classic last month, and will be in the running for her first all-around title this week.
“I think it just made me realize how much I still love gymnastics,” Carey said of what her time away from the sport gave her. “It was definitely a break that my body and mind needed for sure. But at the end of the day, I just realized that I still love it and want to give it one more go while I still can. I’m still feeling good and physically and mentally and just really have that joy and love for gymnastics.”
Jordan Chiles
Chiles was noncommittal about competing again when she visited with USA TODAY’s Sports Seriously in late April.
“That’s a great question. That’s a really great question. You know, we’ll see,” Chiles said.
To be fair, Chiles hasn’t had much of a break since Paris. She returned to UCLA, helping the Bruins win Big Ten titles in both 2025 and 2026, and winning individual NCAA titles on uneven bars (2025) and floor exercise (2026). She also participated on the “Dancing with the Stars” tour this spring.
“I have a few vacations I’m going to go on. Girlie needs to rest! I think it’s time for me to rest,” Chiles said. “Other than that, I don’t know. That’s a great question (about the Olympics). I’d be asking myself, too.”