--- title: "Allyson Felix and Max Whitlock coming back for LA28; Whitlock aims for fifth Olympic Games" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-12T08:13:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/allyson-felix-max-whitlock-are-coming-back-la28-are-serena-williams-simone-biles-next" topics: - name: "Olympic Games" identifier: "medtop:20001177" - name: "gymnastics" identifier: "medtop:20000942" - name: "tennis" identifier: "medtop:20001085" - name: "athletics" identifier: "medtop:20000827" - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Houston" - "Eugene" - "Los Angeles" - "Île-de-France" - "United States" --- Allyson Felix and Max Whitlock coming back for LA28; Whitlock aims for fifth Olympic Games Allyson Felix and Max Whitlock are coming back for LA28. Are Serena Williams and Simone Biles next? Allyson Felix and Max Whitlock are coming back for LA28. Are Serena Williams and Simone Biles next? Two Olympic legends have confirmed their returns for Los Angeles. Two more stars have left the door open. The countdown to the Olympic Games LA28 is turning into a roll call of Olympic royalty. Allyson Felix has added her name to the list. The most decorated woman in Olympic athletics history is coming back at 40, drawn in by a home Games in Los Angeles. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime homecoming," Felix said in announcing her return . "And it is the only thing powerful enough to pull me back." Felix had retired in 2022 following a home World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with 11 Olympic medals, seven of them gold. She will be 42 when LA28 opens, and Felix knows more individual glory may not be in the cards. Instead, she is targeting a place in Team USA’s relay pool. "I know, at 40, I am not at my peak," she said. "I have no illusions about that." She is not alone in seeking more Olympic glory. Max Whitlock is back, too. Team GB's most successful artistic gymnast reversed the retirement he announced following Paris 2024 , telling the BBC that ending his career where he did wasn’t sitting right. "I'm officially back, I'm a gymnast again, and that feels crazy," Whitlock said. "I want to make it to my fifth Olympic Games." The three-time Olympic champion, who owns six Olympic medals in all, will be 35 in Los Angeles, with pommel horse, his specialty event, likeliest him to carry him there. 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships: The comebacks keep coming, and the U.S. team is counting on them Simone Biles: "I want it to be my choice when I'm done" The gymnastics superstar and seven-time Olympic gold medallist on watching from the stands, the future of the sport in the U.S., and what comes next for her in life - and competition. Will they or won't they? Serena Williams, Simone Biles appear to keep possibility of Olympic run open There are two other Olympic legends, perhaps, waiting in the wings. Serena Williams has already returned to competitive tennis – but the Olympics in two years still remain an open question. The four-time Olympic gold medallist ended a four-year absence this year, playing doubles at Queen's before accepting a singles wild card at Wimbledon. Williams has yet to name LA28 as the target. And then there is Simone Biles . The most decorated gymnast in history has repeatedly kept the door open, often saying she is 50 50 on a return to the sport when asked. But at other moments, the Houston native has seemed less interested. “Because I’ve accomplished so much, there’s almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what?” Biles said in an interview with Sports Illustrated . “I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when to be done. “If you go back, you’ll be greedy. Those are the consequences. But that’s also your decision to decide. What sacrifices would be made if I go back now? When you’re younger, it’s like, prom, college. Now it’s like, starting a family, being away from my husband. What’s really worth it?” While Biles is not saying no, she is not saying yes, either. At 29 (she’ll be 31 when the Games open in LA), she’s not sure the maths works out. "2028 seems so far away. And my body ages. I felt it in Paris," Biles said, according to the New York Times. "So, to be honest, I don't know. We'll see." 14 - 30 July 2028 LA 2028 | Olympic Games | USA