The US gymnast Simone Biles has withdrawn from the event finals for jump and uneven bars at the Tokyo Olympics, US Gymnastics announced on Saturday. Biles said she put her mental health first when she retired from the gym team event after a rotation.
Simone Biles (Courtesy: AP)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Simone Biles withdraws from the event finals for vaulting and uneven bars
- Bileshad previously withdrew from the women’s all-around final
- Biles has received a flurry of support from around the world
According to USA Gymnastics, Simone Biles has decided to retire from the Olympic final on the vaulting and uneven bars.
“Today, after further consultation with medical staff, Simone Biles decided to withdraw from the jumping and uneven bars event finals,” USAG said in a statement. “She will continue to be judged daily to determine if she should compete in the floor exercise and balance beam finals.”
Biles, who continues to struggle with mental health problems, had previously withdrawn from the women’s all-around final on Thursday and the team final on Tuesday after a bad grade in her opening vault.
However, the 24-year-old could still perform at the Tokyo Games after failing to do floor exercise on Monday and beaming on Tuesday.
Biles said she put her mental health first when she retired from the gym team event after a rotation. The US women won silver there. She also decided not to compete in an all-around competition. The American Sunisa Lee won gold.
MyKayla Skinner, who had the fourth highest number of points in vaulting during qualification, will compete in the vaulting final for the USA alongside Jade Carey, who achieved the second highest number of points. Biles was the reigning Olympic champion in the vault.
Biles has been remarkably frank about her decision, saying that she needs to consider both her mental and physical well-being when dealing with the “twisties” incidents of disorientation during some of her gravity defying skills.
“It’s honestly terrifying when you try to learn a skill but don’t keep your mind and body in sync,” Biles wrote on Instagram on Friday.
Biles has received a barrage of support from which everyone from former First Lady Michelle Obama to Olympic President Thomas Bach has praised her courage.
“I have to say personally that I had the chance to have at least a brief chat with her after the team competition … I really admire the way she’s handling the situation,” said Bach, a gold medal fencer at the 1976 Games.
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