Summary
- Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising offers an emotional journey through the gymnast’s struggles and triumphs, challenging typical sports narratives.
- Biles’ impressive feats at the 2024 Olympics cemented her legacy, sparking curiosity about her future in the sport.
- While rumors swirl about Biles’ retirement post-2024 Olympics, she remains open to the idea but hints at a possible return in 2028.
Netflix’s documentary series Simone Biles Rising walks through the elite gymnast’s uplifting journey but also raises several questions surrounding her future as an athlete after the 2024 Olympics. While featuring Biles’ impressive athletic feats in slow motion, Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising offers a highly emotional and immersive human perspective on her struggles and triumphs both inside and outside the training floor. In many ways, it even goes against most typical sports narratives in documentaries by honoring her legacy but also reminding viewers that she is human.
The two-part documentary series also gives a glimpse of all the mental and physical battles she had to overcome during the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Since Biles has now cemented her legacy by winning 4 more medals (3 Gold and 1 Silver) at the 2024 Games, the Netflix documentary seems all the more relevant. At the same time, it makes it hard not to wonder what Biles will do next after her monumental success.
Related
What Happened To Every Olympian Gymnast In Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising Documentary
The Netflix docuseries Simone Biles Rising may focus on the titular gymnast, but many other Olympic gymnasts were featured through interviews.
Simone Biles Hasn’t Announced She’s Retiring After The 2024 Olympics
The Rumors Surrounding Her Retirement Explained
Simone Biles has made no affirmative statements about her retirement after the 2024 Olympics. However, in a recent interview (via Reuters), she opened up about how, even though she wishes to “Never say never,” she is “getting really old.” The gymnast also showed enthusiasm about returning for the 2028 Olympics because it will be held at “home” in Los Angeles. The rumors surrounding her retirement after the 2024 Paris Olympics started circulating when she said, “Rebeca can have the next one,” referring to Rebeca Andrade, the Brazilian gymnast who got silver in the Women’s Artistic Individual All-Around.
In another interview (via NBC Sports), she talked about how she cannot be dissatisfied with her performance because she has achieved way more than her “wildest dreams.” This could mean that she is delighted with her run as an athlete, so far, and would consider retirement (at least from the Olympics) in the near future. However, for now, Biles has half-jokingly said (via Twitter) that she wishes to “babysit” her gold medal and does not like it when athletes are asked about their plans right after they win a medal at the Olympics.
What Simone Biles Said About Her Future After The Olympics In Her 2024 Netflix Documentary
The Documentary’s First Part Discloses More About Her Past Than Future
In the 2024 Netflix documentary, Simone Biles does not discuss much about her thoughts on her future after the Paris Olympics. Instead, she focuses more on recalling all the obstacles she had to overcome to return to the sport after backing out of the Tokyo Olympics. While the series’ first episode highlights all the pressures she faces while preparing for her Olympics comeback, the second shows how she sets her eyes on the Paris Olympics while performing at the World Championships.
The documentary series also walks through all the provisions she had to take to ensure that her comeback was stronger and more resilient than before. It walks through how, despite being at the top of her game, Biles had to recede and begin again from the basics to be able to overcome the twisties and return for the 2024 Olympics. However, since the documentary also has a second part, which is scheduled to be released on Netflix in the Fall of 2024, it might eventually shed some light on her plans after the 2024 Olympics.
|
Episode No. |
Title |
Part |
Release Date on Netflix |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
“Write me down in history…” |
1 |
July 17, 2024 |
|
2 |
“I will not be broken” |
1 |
July 17, 2024 |
|
3 |
TBA |
2 |
Fall 2024 |
|
4 |
TBA |
2 |
Fall 2024 |
What Age Olympic Gymnasts Usually Retire At & How Simone Biles Compares
Simone Biles Is Already Among The Older Elite Gymnasts
Given how many gymnasts hang their boots by the time they reach their mid-twenties, it would not be surprising if Simone Biles decided to step back from the sport after the 2024 Olympics. After all, she is the second-oldest women’s Olympic all-around champion in history after Maria Gorokhovskaya, who holds the record of winning the all-around at the 1952 games at the age of 30. However, it must also be noted that, as portrayed in Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising, Biles is unlike any other athlete, which could mean she might choose to continue her career beyond the 2024 Olympics.
Simone Biles: Rising (2024)
4.0
After stepping away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health struggles, Simone Biles embarks on a transformative journey. The docuseries follows her as she overcomes past traumas, rebuilds her gymnastics skills, and prepares for a triumphant return to the Olympic stage in Paris.
- Cast
- Simon Biles
- Release Date
- July 17, 2024
- Seasons
- 1