

Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, is in a rare pause from competition following her triumphant Paris Olympics campaign but that doesn’t mean she’s stopped being busy as she pens a $66m deal with Netflix.
So, while she steps away from the mat, her presence continues to dominate the global stage in a different arena: storytelling; with the launch of Simone Biles Rising, a four-part Netflix docuseries covering her journey from the 2020 to 2024 Olympics.
The series, now nominated for Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards, captures her experiences and the wider mental toll of elite sport from the lows of Tokyo to the highs of Paris, as she battled mental health problems.
In Japan, Biles stunned the world when she withdrew from the women’s team final after suffering from the “twisties,” a dangerous mental block that strips gymnasts of their air awareness mid-routine.
Her decision, prioritizing safety over competition, sparked global debate after she left Team USA on the backfoot with the decision as they lost the woman regarded as the best gymnast of all-time.
“Behind the scenes, people don’t get that inside view,” Biles explained of why she stepped back. “We wanted to take them through the whole process.
“The good days and the bad days and make it feel real and raw. And with Netflix being global, it means everyone has the opportunity to watch.”
Though criticized at the time, Biles went on to earn a team silver and a bronze on balance beam and the new production by Netflix captures the personal cost of that choice and the resilience that followed.
So, Simone Biles Rising does more than chronicle medals, it exposes the daily grind, mental strain, and recovery process after public failure and the amount of sheer effort that goes into becoming an Olympic champion.
“They’ve become like family,” Biles said of the Netflix crew. “The cameras didn’t matter.
“I felt their support. With my family absent, knowing Katie would be there that day meant a lot.”
The project itself has already garnered critical acclaim, earning not only an Emmy nomination but also a PGA Award for Best Sports Program and two Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
Will Simone Biles compete at 2028 Olympic Games?
Biles has not confirmed whether she will compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, leaving her future in the sport uncertain as she could potentially retire to begin her family with the Chicago Bears‘ Jonathan Owens.
She has emphasized that her current focus is on enjoying life outside of gymnastics, including travel and time with her husband but hasn’t ruled out heading to the floor in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I haven’t made a decision yet,” Biles told L’Equipe. I’m trying to enjoy life, travel, spend time with my husband.
“To return, it would have to be something that genuinely excites me.”
She added: “My body is changing, and I felt it in Paris.”
This news was originally published on this post .
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