Simone Biles is set to participate in the U.S. Classic event scheduled for August.

On Wednesday, USA Gymnastics made an announcement stating that Simone Biles, an accomplished seven-time Olympic medalist and the reigning 2016 Olympic champion, has been included in the women’s lineup for the one-day event taking place on August 5th at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates.

Simone Biles is making her comeback as the gymnastics superstar intends to compete again at the U.S. Classic, scheduled for early August near Chicago. This event will mark her first competition since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed due to the pandemic.

On Wednesday, an announcement was made by USA Gymnastics revealing that Simone Biles, a highly accomplished athlete with seven Olympic medals and the 2016 Olympic champion, will be among the participants in the women’s division for a one-day event scheduled on August 5th at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates.

Following her eventful experience in Japan during the summer of 2021, Simone Biles chose to take an extended break from gymnastics, resulting in a significant portion of the past two years being dedicated to her personal well-being. Her decision to prioritize her mental health led to a shift in focus, as the conversation surrounding the games shifted from the competition itself to the overall welfare of athletes.

During that time, Biles provided support as a cheerleader for her American teammates, who secured the team silver medal. However, she opted out of participating in the all-around, vault, and floor exercise finals, despite qualifying for them. This decision was prompted by her struggles with a phenomenon known as “the twisties,” where an athlete loses spatial awareness while in mid-air.

Biles did make a comeback for the balance beam final, where she earned a bronze medal, equalling Shannon Miller’s record for the most Olympic medals won by an American female gymnast. While she hinted at the possibility of competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics, she emphasized the importance of taking a substantial break beforehand.

The past couple of years have been quite eventful for Simone Biles. In the autumn of 2021, she took center stage during her post-Olympic tour. Additionally, she tied the knot with NFL player Jonathan Owens, who currently serves as a defensive back for the Green Bay Packers, earlier this spring.

At 26 years old, Biles has emerged as a prominent advocate for athletes prioritizing their mental well-being, particularly due to her influential stance in Japan that brought the issue into the spotlight. As discussions regarding mental health continue to evolve, Biles’ decision to return to the sport where she excelled for almost a decade indicates her desire to conclude her career on her own terms.

The U.S. Classic holds a significant place on USA Gymnastics’ yearly schedule and traditionally acts as a preliminary event leading up to the national championships, which are set to take place in late August in San Jose this year.

In 2018, after a two-year break following her record-breaking medal achievements in Rio de Janeiro, Biles chose the Classic as her comeback competition. Within a mere two hours, she demonstrated her continued excellence, solidifying her position as the pinnacle of her sport. This exceptional performance set the stage for a remarkable journey, which included two additional world all-around championships in 2018 and 2019, as well as three more national titles.

However, this time around, there may be notable differences on multiple fronts. During her lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics, Biles embraced the spotlight and became, in many respects, the face of the U.S. Olympic movement. As the Paris Games draw closer, she appears to be adopting a more low-key approach. Her presence on various social media platforms primarily features glimpses of her personal life, with a notable absence of gymnastics-related content.

In a departure from her previous years in the spotlight since her rise to stardom in 2013, Biles will not carry the weight of being the primary figurehead for the U.S. gymnastics program.

Joining the U.S. Classic is Sunisa Lee, who secured the gold medal in the all-around final in Tokyo. Lee, who recently competed for Auburn University, played a vital role in generating a significant surge of interest in collegiate gymnastics.

While Lee encountered health challenges during the latter half of her sophomore year with the Tigers, she has set her sights on returning to the Olympics. Her aim is not only to defend her all-around title but also to pursue another chance at securing gold in her specialty event, the uneven bars.

Lee’s performance in Tokyo resulted in a third-place finish on the uneven bars, which can be attributed in part to the attention she garnered immediately after becoming the fifth consecutive American woman to claim the Olympic title.

As Biles rose to stardom, she became skilled at managing the various demands on her time. Now, as she aims to secure a spot on her third Olympic team—a remarkable achievement for a female gymnast in the United States—Biles seems to be opting for a more restrained approach. In the last 50 years, Dominique Dawes (1992, 1996, and 2000) stands as the sole American woman to have been selected for three Olympic teams, highlighting the rarity of such an accomplishment.

On the other hand, Biles finds herself participating in a gymnastics landscape that is witnessing a shift in the perception of age and longevity in the sport. It is becoming increasingly common for elite gymnasts to continue competing well into their 20s and even beyond.

Traditionally, gymnastics has been viewed as a sport where athletes peak in their late teens or early 20s due to the physical demands and rigorous training required. However, recent years have seen a change in this narrative, with athletes like Biles challenging the notion of age limitations in the sport.

Advancements in training techniques, sports science, and injury prevention have contributed to extending the careers of gymnasts. Athletes are now able to maintain their physical condition and flexibility for a longer period. Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on overall well-being, including mental health, which has led to a more holistic approach to training and competition.

As a result, seasoned gymnasts like Biles are defying expectations and proving that age is not necessarily a barrier to success in the sport. Their continued participation serves as an inspiration to aspiring gymnasts and demonstrates that dedication, experience, and passion can outweigh any preconceived notions about age limitations in gymnastics.

Therefore, Biles finds herself competing in an era where the perception of age in gymnastics is evolving, providing her with the opportunity to continue pushing boundaries and achieving greatness well beyond what was traditionally expected in the sport.

The relaxation of rules regarding name, image, and likeness in the NCAA has given Lee and several other prominent American athletes such as Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Leanne Wong the freedom to pursue both collegiate competition and capitalize on their Olympic achievements.

During the past two years, Carey, who secured the Olympic gold medal in floor exercise in 2020 and became the world champion on vault in 2022, has been attending Oregon State. Chiles, who earned a team silver in Tokyo and obtained three medals, including silver in floor exercise and vault, at the world championships last year, has been excelling at UCLA. Wong, the recipient of the silver medal at the 2021 world championships, has played a significant role in Florida’s advancement to the national finals for the past two years.

Having consistently participated in competitions since the Tokyo Olympics, all of them will arrive in Chicago well-prepared and honed for their upcoming endeavors.

In contrast, Biles finds herself in a distinct situation. Ever since she departed from Japan, she has consistently emphasized that she won’t hastily make any decisions regarding her pursuit of Paris, emphasizing that her return to the sport she once dominated will solely be driven by her own desire and not a sense of obligation.

Participating in the Classic is just the initial step among several that she will have to take within the next 14 months. The crucial factor for her will be to discover the delicate equilibrium she previously mastered, allowing her to achieve the rare crossover success enjoyed by only a few Olympic champions.