Simone Biles Reunites with Heath Thorpe in Australia; Olympic Channel Shares Retirement Choice Clip

Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles reunited with former Australian training partner Heath Thorpe during a visit “down under,” sharing photos of the long-time friends embracing and catching up at Thorpe’s home gym in Sydney on Thursday, August 28, 2025. The pair, who first trained together during national team camps in 2021, were photographed laughing over their signature skills exchange-Biles demonstrating her “Yurchenko double pike” and Thorpe performing his planche-to-handstand series. Fans on social media praised the sentimental reunion, noting the camaraderie between two of the sport’s most inventive athletes.

On the same day, the official Olympic Channel Instagram account dropped an exclusive video featuring Biles reflecting on her career and emphasizing that she wants her retirement “to be my choice when I’m done”. The clip, tagged with the Volleyball World handle, follows her recent involvement as an ambassador for athlete mental health and personal agency in sport. In less than 24 hours, the post amassed over half a million views and sparked renewed conversation about athlete well-being and the power of self-determination at the elite level.