Simone Biles Withdrew From U.S. Gymnastics Team Final To Focus on Mental Health
info@hypebae.com (HYPEBAE) Tue, 27 Jul 2021 HYPEBAE
UPDATE (July 27, 2021): After citing "medical issues" for her withdrawal from the women's team gymnastics final at the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles has revealed that she decided to drop out due to mental health concerns.
"Whenever you get in a high stress situation you kind of freak out and don’t really know how to handle all of those emotions, especially at the Olympic Games... I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and wellbeing," the athlete spoke to reporters. "It’s okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are, rather than just battle through it," she added, stating that the U.S. Gymnastics Team will be taking a "mental rest day" on Wednesday.
As of now, it's unclear whether Biles will be returning to individual competitions following her announcement.
ORIGINAL STORY (July 27, 2021): Simone Biles dropped out of the women's team gymnastics final at the Tokyo Olympics due to a "medical issue," according to a statement issued by U.S.A. Gymnastics. "She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions."
Biles exited the competition floor on Tuesday after performing her vault routine. The 24-year-old appeared to make a last-minute change to her routine, executing one-and-a-half twists in the air instead of two-and-a-half. She then stumbled on her landing, resulting in a score of 13.766, uncharacteristically low for the gymnast. She left the arena with her trainer, later returning to cheer on her teammates from the sidelines.
Yesterday, Biles posted about her experience at the Olympics on Instagram. "I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times," the athlete, fondly referred to as the "GOAT," captioned her post. "I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me...The Olympics is no joke!"
Biles's teammates, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee and Grace McCallum, continued in the finals without her, clinching silver for Team U.S.A. Winning gold, Russia finished three points ahead of the U.S., while Britain won bronze.
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