&nbsp;After thinking hard about hanging on another year to compete at the COVID-19 delayed Tokyo Olympics, four-time gold medallist gymnast Simone Biles said on Wednesday she just might stick around for another three years for the 2024 Paris Summer Games.

Winner of the coveted all-around crown along with team, floor and vault gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles had given every indication that the Tokyo Games would be her competitive swan song.

But the 24-year-old American hinted during her appearance at the Team USA virtual media summit on Wednesday that she might put off retirement and try to compete in Paris in an individual event such as the floor exercise where she is a five-time world champion.

Biles said she was getting some pressure from her French coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi to consider Paris and did not rule out the idea.

"Right now my main focus is the (Tokyo) Olympic Games," said Biles, who has also won a record 25 world championship medals. "After, we have a tour that has been put together and I am really excited to go around the U.S. with all the girls and do that 36 city tour.

"Afterwards I am not so sure because Cecile and Laurent are from Paris and so they have kind of guilted me into at least being a specialist and coming back.

"But you know the main goal is 2021 Olympics first, tour and then we will have to see."

The Olympics, delayed one year by the COVID-19 pandemic, begin July 23.

After thinking hard about hanging on another year to compete at the COVID-19 delayed Tokyo Olympics, four-time gold medallist gymnast Simone Biles said on Wednesday she just might stick around for another three years for the 2024 Paris Summer Games.

After thinking hard about hanging on another year to compete at the COVID-19 delayed Tokyo Olympics, four-time gold medallist gymnast Simone Biles said on Wednesday she just might stick around for another three years for the 2024 Paris Summer Games. Winner of the coveted all-around crown along with team, floor and vault gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles had given every indication that the Tokyo Games would be her competitive swan song. But the 24-year-old American hinted during her appearance at the Team USA virtual media summit on Wednesday that she might put off retirement and try to compete in Paris in an individual event such as the floor exercise where she is a five-time world champion. Biles said she was getting some pressure from her French coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi to consider Paris and did not rule out the idea. "Right now my main focus is the (Tokyo) Olympic Games," said Biles, who has also won a record 25 world championship medals. "After, we have a tour that has been put together and I am really excited to go around the U.S. with all the girls and do that 36 city tour. "Afterwards I am not so sure because Cecile and Laurent are from Paris and so they have kind of guilted me into at least being a specialist and coming back. "But you know the main goal is 2021 Olympics first, tour and then we will have to see." The Olympics, delayed one year by the COVID-19 pandemic, begin July 23.

Paris, not Tokyo, could be last Olympics, hints gymnast Biles

With the Rio Olympics at the halfway mark, here are five sporting stars who left their mark on the first week of competition with their records, style and courage: 
 
Michael Phelps, Swimming 
 
He said his body ached, his legs hurt and he felt tired, but Michael Phelps still went out of the Olympics in spectacular style with four golds and a silver in a week -- 22 golds in a five-Olympics career -- and still one more title likely on Saturday. The Chinese medicinal practice of `cupping` which left red circle marks on his body was the only apparent sign that at 31, Phelps is slowing down, and then barely. His victories in the 4x100m free and 4x200m free relays, 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley were all clear. 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_em62l-20160813065705.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Making a splash: As constant as the leap year, US&#39;s swimming legend Michael Phelps bags heaps of gold at the quadrennial event.
</div>
 
The man who won eight golds at Beijing in 2008 has always come across as something of a medal machine. But Phelps has also shown his more mature side in Rio. Being in a three-way dead heat for silver in the 100m on Friday was &quot;kind of cool&quot;. 
 
&quot;My body is in pain, my legs are hurting,&quot; said Phelps after a crushing 200m fly win. &quot;I think the biggest thing for me through the meet so far is I`ve been able to kind of finish how I wanted to,&quot; added the American, who has insisted there will be no sixth Olympics. 
 
Simone Biles, Gymnastics 
 
Simone Biles lived up to her star billing as the gymnastics dynamo put herself on track for a record five gold medals in Rio by winning the all-around title after helping the United States to defend their team title.&nbsp; 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/simone%20biles-20160813081501.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Simone Biles might be only be 1.45m tall but her exploits at the Games has made her a giant in her discipline.
</div>
The 1.45m (4ft 9ins) Texan with a big smile gave a powerful display of gravity-defying tumbling and acrobatics to add the Olympic all-around crown to the three world titles she holds. She is unbeaten in the individual event since 2013. 
 
If Biles takes the vault, beam and floor over coming days she will have won more gold at one Games than any other woman, overtaking Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina (1956), Czech Vera Caslavska (1968) and Romanian Ecaterina Szabo (1984), who have all won four. 
&quot;I`m pretty sure I`ll just go on lockdown at my house. It won`t be exactly normal, but we`ll make it as normal as possible,&quot; said 19-year-old Biles of how she will cope with her fame on her return home. 
 
Fiji, Rugby Sevens 
 
The South Pacific sevens rugby players came to Rio as favourites but no one expected them to trounce Britain 43-7 in such devastating fashion in the final as the sport made its Olympic debut. Sevens may come from Britain but Fiji has become its capital. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/fiji%20rugby-20160813081028.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Fiji&#39;s sevens rugby team trounced Breat Britain in the final to win the country&#39;s maiden gong.
</div>
The speed and passing of captain Osea Kolinisau and his team blew away all-comers and they saved the best for last. World Rugby believes that Fiji and even the teams that trailed them will bring in new adepts and hopefully a permanent Olympic status. Fiji reckons the country`s first ever gold medal will bring sporting glory and tourists and investment to a poor country of 900,000 people. 
 
Ironically, Fiji is especially hailing the work of coach Ben Ryan to lift the side in recent years. He of course is British. 
 
Rafaela Silva, Judo 
 
Rafaela Silva, who was brought up in Rio`s notorious City of God favela, was called a &quot;monkey&quot; after being disqualified from the London Olympics in 2012. Four years on, Brazil is hosting the Games and the 57kg category judoka is the heroine as the country`s first and only gold medal of the opening week of competition. 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/rafaela%20silva-20160813081947.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Brazil&#39;s Rafaela Silva was called various names after her failure in London Games but four years on, she has had the last laugh by bagging the first gold medal for the host country
</div>
&quot;People taunted me, they said I was a monkey and my place was in a cage. But I proved my place is in sport and in judo,&quot; said the gritty 24-year-old who has spoken forcefully about racism in her country whilst she is in the Olympic headlines. Her sporting skill also deserves attention. She beat world number one Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia to take the title and prove that Brazil is a world force in women`s judo even if the country does not always treasure them. 
 
Katie Ledecky, Swimming 
 
America`s newest star wrote her name in lights by uniting the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle for the first time since 1968 -- winning two of the races in world-record time. Katie Ledecky, 19, has four gold medals overall including the 4x200m freestyle relay, plus silver from the 4x100m free.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ledecky-20160813070456.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Ledecky, who cried during the post-race media conference, is moving to Stanford University later this year.
</div>
 
 
The most extraordinary stat for Ledecky is that she has never lost an individual final at a world championships or Olympics, compiling nine world titles before she has even reached her twenties. She burst onto the scene at the 2012 London Olympics, when she won the 800m at just 15. And she has confirmed every ounce of her promise with her feats in Rio, which include world records in the 400m and 800m.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I just wanted to lay it all out there,&quot; Ledecky said after Friday`s 800m race. &quot;It was my last swim here at the Olympics, the pinnacle of our sport, and I have to wait another four years to have that moment.&quot; Ominously for her competitors, Ledecky may be reaching her peak for Tokyo 2020. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Phelps, Biles, Fiji, Ledecky and Silva have taken different routes to reach the pinnacle of sports in the first week of the Games

With the Rio Olympics at the halfway mark, here are five sporting stars who left their mark on the first week of competition with their records, style and courage: Michael Phelps, Swimming He said his body ached, his legs hurt and he felt tired, but Michael Phelps still went out of the Olympics in spectacular style with four golds and a silver in a week -- 22 golds in a five-Olympics career -- and still one more title likely on Saturday. The Chinese medicinal practice of `cupping` which left red circle marks on his body was the only apparent sign that at 31, Phelps is slowing down, and then barely. His victories in the 4x100m free and 4x200m free relays, 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley were all clear. Making a splash: As constant as the leap year, US's swimming legend Michael Phelps bags heaps of gold at the quadrennial event. The man who won eight golds at Beijing in 2008 has always come across as something of a medal machine. But Phelps has also shown his more mature side in Rio. Being in a three-way dead heat for silver in the 100m on Friday was "kind of cool". "My body is in pain, my legs are hurting," said Phelps after a crushing 200m fly win. "I think the biggest thing for me through the meet so far is I`ve been able to kind of finish how I wanted to," added the American, who has insisted there will be no sixth Olympics. Simone Biles, Gymnastics Simone Biles lived up to her star billing as the gymnastics dynamo put herself on track for a record five gold medals in Rio by winning the all-around title after helping the United States to defend their team title. Simone Biles might be only be 1.45m tall but her exploits at the Games has made her a giant in her discipline. The 1.45m (4ft 9ins) Texan with a big smile gave a powerful display of gravity-defying tumbling and acrobatics to add the Olympic all-around crown to the three world titles she holds. She is unbeaten in the individual event since 2013. If Biles takes the vault, beam and floor over coming days she will have won more gold at one Games than any other woman, overtaking Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina (1956), Czech Vera Caslavska (1968) and Romanian Ecaterina Szabo (1984), who have all won four. "I`m pretty sure I`ll just go on lockdown at my house. It won`t be exactly normal, but we`ll make it as normal as possible," said 19-year-old Biles of how she will cope with her fame on her return home. Fiji, Rugby Sevens The South Pacific sevens rugby players came to Rio as favourites but no one expected them to trounce Britain 43-7 in such devastating fashion in the final as the sport made its Olympic debut. Sevens may come from Britain but Fiji has become its capital. Fiji's sevens rugby team trounced Breat Britain in the final to win the country's maiden gong. The speed and passing of captain Osea Kolinisau and his team blew away all-comers and they saved the best for last. World Rugby believes that Fiji and even the teams that trailed them will bring in new adepts and hopefully a permanent Olympic status. Fiji reckons the country`s first ever gold medal will bring sporting glory and tourists and investment to a poor country of 900,000 people. Ironically, Fiji is especially hailing the work of coach Ben Ryan to lift the side in recent years. He of course is British. Rafaela Silva, Judo Rafaela Silva, who was brought up in Rio`s notorious City of God favela, was called a "monkey" after being disqualified from the London Olympics in 2012. Four years on, Brazil is hosting the Games and the 57kg category judoka is the heroine as the country`s first and only gold medal of the opening week of competition. Brazil's Rafaela Silva was called various names after her failure in London Games but four years on, she has had the last laugh by bagging the first gold medal for the host country "People taunted me, they said I was a monkey and my place was in a cage. But I proved my place is in sport and in judo," said the gritty 24-year-old who has spoken forcefully about racism in her country whilst she is in the Olympic headlines. Her sporting skill also deserves attention. She beat world number one Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia to take the title and prove that Brazil is a world force in women`s judo even if the country does not always treasure them. Katie Ledecky, Swimming America`s newest star wrote her name in lights by uniting the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle for the first time since 1968 -- winning two of the races in world-record time. Katie Ledecky, 19, has four gold medals overall including the 4x200m freestyle relay, plus silver from the 4x100m free. Ledecky, who cried during the post-race media conference, is moving to Stanford University later this year. The most extraordinary stat for Ledecky is that she has never lost an individual final at a world championships or Olympics, compiling nine world titles before she has even reached her twenties. She burst onto the scene at the 2012 London Olympics, when she won the 800m at just 15. And she has confirmed every ounce of her promise with her feats in Rio, which include world records in the 400m and 800m. "I just wanted to lay it all out there," Ledecky said after Friday`s 800m race. "It was my last swim here at the Olympics, the pinnacle of our sport, and I have to wait another four years to have that moment." Ominously for her competitors, Ledecky may be reaching her peak for Tokyo 2020. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Five stand-out performers of week 1

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