As athletes continue pouring their hearts out into their craft and collecting wins for Team USA in Paris, some Olympians are already looking ahead to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The U.S. is slated to host the Olympics again for the first time since Atlanta hosted the games in 1996. This time around, it will be held in the City of Angels.
While LA ramps up transportation and infrastructure projects to gear up for 2028, athletes are still giving their all in Paris. Amid medal ceremonies, press conferences and dramatic close calls with other countries’ best athletes, Americans in France have been asked whether they’ll be representing the U.S. in four years. But which ones have hinted at a possible return?
Paris Olympics
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Simone Biles
Fresh off her gold medal-winning performance in the vault competition, Biles, whose decorated career as a gymnast includes countless accolades and now three Olympic appearances, left an ambiguous answer when asked if she plans to compete in 2028.
“Never say never. The home games is … the next Olympics is at home, so you just never know,” Biles said in a press conference on Sunday.
“But, I am getting really old,” she said modestly with a laugh. If she were to compete in 2028, she would be 31 years old.
Katie Ledecky
Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky made history during the Paris Olympics by becoming the second woman ever to win nine gold medals at the Olympics.
But with such a title, will she plan on surpassing her own best in her home country? Ledecky, 27, didn’t exactly say yes since she wants to be present in her accomplishment.
“It’ll be on my mind at some point but right now, I’m going to try to stay in the moment, enjoy this,” she told a reporter on Sunday. “The water always calls me back and I’ll be setting some new goals pretty soon, I think.”
Ryan Crouser
Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser, 31, cruised to the top of the podium with a 22.90m throw during the shot put competition on Saturday. Looking ahead, however, he’s already dreaming of the competition in LA.
“I’m enjoying the moment but it’s difficult not to think about LA as the next step,” Crouser said. “As an American, as a three-time, would love to be a fourth-time Olympian.”
As for serving Team USA in his own home country? Crouser said that would be the ultimate honor.
"That would be the dream, to hang up the shoes on American soil at a home Olympics," he said. "That would be truly a dream come true."
